Black Roses
by LexieF
Summary: "Now I've gone for too long Living like I'm not alive So I'm going to start over tonight Beginning with you and I" ― ― ― ― Hayley William ― ― ― ― As Draco Malfoy returns for his sixth year at Hogwarts, he is faced with someone he once knew, but never expected to see again. As he struggles with the past, she might be exactly what he needed for a better future.
1. Welcome back

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

3. A huge thanks to Krista and Lauren for reading over the chapters and helping me edit them.

* * *

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny walked into the castle, and Harry's eyes wandered around as he finally began to feel at home. The sight of the Great Hall, the marble stairs, and the group of first years waiting by professor McGonagall with a scared look on their faces was all too familiar; but someone else was with them tonight, someone who didn't seem to fit.

Harry stared at the girl with curiosity. He could see her pleasant smile and piercing green eyes, "_much like mine_" he thought, as she carried a conversation with McGonagall. Her dark, long hair and milky, white skin, gave her a mysterious air.

"I wonder who that is speaking to professor McGonagall" Hermione said. "She doesn't look like anyone I have seen here before"

As Harry turned around, he realized his other friends had stopped to see what had caught his attention.

"I don't recognize her either," said Ginny, joining the conversation, "but she looks old enough to be in your grade or higher anyways"

"Hello!" Ron was calling them from the Great Hall, "are you coming or not? The Sorting Ceremony is about to start and I'm starving!"

Harry, Hermione and Ginny made their way towards Ron, the girls shaking their heads and laughing while Harry's thoughts were still on the mysterious girl. They made it to their seats just in time, as Professor McGonagall entered the Great Hall followed by the first years and, at the very end of the line, the older girl. Sorting ceremony proceeded as usual until everyone was called except for the girl. Harry could see other students staring at her with confused looks as well, but his attention was drawn to the front of the room once again as Professor Dumbledore stood up to address the hall.

"Good evening and welcome back to Hogwarts." The professor looked around the Hall and his wide smile was welcoming, "I am sure you are anxiously waiting for dinner and the chance to catch up with your friends, but before we continue I would like to say a few things. First, Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that students are not allowed in the Forbidden Forest…"

Harry was no longer paying attention to the Headmaster. He and Ron were discussing Quidditch tryouts and it wasn't until Hermione called their names and looked towards the front again that both boys did the same.

"… and last, but not least, I am sure many of you are wondering who our last student to be sorted tonight is. This is the first time Hogwarts has accepted a transfer student and she will be joining the sixth year. I trust you will all welcome her and make her feel at home. Professor?" He said, nodding towards McGonagall.

"Smith, Sofia," called Professor McGonagall.

Sofia sat down and waited for the professor to place the hat on her head. It wasn't long after it touched her that she heard it scream, "Gryffindor!" Sofia had never been to Hogwarts before, but she knew enough about the school and its houses that she was pleased with the hat's selection. As far as she was concerned, anything other than Slytherin was fine.

She made her way to the table where people were clapping and sat by some older looking students who had waved her over. She could still feel the other students looking her way, but she didn't care. The people around her introduced themselves, and she decided to focus on them alone. As the food appeared in front of them, people turned their attention back to their respective tables. Noises of chewing, laughter and stories being told filled the Great Hall within seconds.

One set of eyes had yet to leave her, however. They belonged to a student sitting across the room from her and he could not bring himself to look away. He still couldn't believe it was her. He knew her parents were back in London, but he never thought she would leave her old school and come to Hogwarts. He wished she hadn't, he wished she wasn't here, but there she was laughing along with the other Gryffindor's. She was a piece of his past he sincerely hoped would stay there and yet, here she was.

With great difficulty he tore his eyes away from her and looked down on his plate. It was now filled with delicious food and, although he had been looking forward to this since boarding the express earlier on, he was no longer hungry.

"Draco, are you ok?" The distant voice of his ex-girlfriend, Pansy, asked.

"I'm fine," was all he said.

He did his best to eat, but he didn't say much. Sofia's presence had his head spinning and had unlocked a chaos of emotions that Draco was usually so good at keeping under control. The most surprising one was fear. He would never admit it out loud, it was hard enough admitting it to himself, but there was no denying it. Her presence scared him, which in turn made him very angry. He was a Malfoy, and Malfoy's were not scared of anything, or _anyone_.

* * *

Sofia was doing her best to keep up with the group of Gryffindor's as they moved towards their common room, but she couldn't stop scanning around the crowd. She knew he was here, and she knew she should be scared and angry but she wasn't either. She was anxious, and she was hurt. It had been years now, but the hurt had never truly left her. It went away for the most part, helped greatly by the fact they were in different countries, but it never left her entirely.

They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, and she heard a girl with curly brown hair announcing to other students the password for the year, **Bravery**_. _

_"How fitting_," Sofia thought, "_I will definitely need to be brave if I'm going to survive this_."

Once inside the common room, the curly haired girl approached her, followed by another girl and guy with bright red hair, and a guy with untamed black locks and, yes, a lightening scar. She had wondered when, and if, she would meet Harry Potter.

"Hi, I am Hermione Granger. These are Ron and Ginny Weasley, and that's Harry Potter." the curly haired girl said with a smile on her face. Sofia shook their hands. "All of us are in the sixth year as well, except for Ginny, who is in her fifth year. You will be in the room with me and the other girls from our year. If you are ready, I can show you where it is."

"That would be wonderful. It was a pleasure meeting you guys."

Sofia turned and followed Hermione to their room. Once she introduced herself to the other girls and checked on her bed and trunk, she followed Hermione back to the common room where she stayed with their group until later that night.

Once she started yawning, she got up, wished them all a good night and went to bed. After a quick shower, she lay in bed ready to sleep, but her mind kept going back to Draco.

Laying in his bed in the dungeons, Draco Malfoy couldn't stop thinking about her as well.


	2. And so it begins

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

3. A huge thanks to Krista and Lauren for reading over the chapters and helping me edit them.

* * *

Sofia woke up early, before all the other girls, not because she was well rested, but because thoughts of a certain blond guy had kept her restless. She was mad at herself, mad for letting him mess with her emotions this easily. Didn't she decide long ago he wasn't worth it? Hadn't she learned to let it go? Her hand made its way to her necklace and pendent, as it always did when she thought of him. It was such a strong habit she no longer noticed it. The necklace, which for all intents and purposes was purchased by her, had never left her neck once he put it there, not even after that one last day… No, she couldn't think about it now, she couldn't do that to herself again.

Getting up, she showered and dressed as quietly as possible. She left her room and made her way down to the common room where she found Harry sitting in an arm chair by the fire, looking tired.

"Morning," she said. Harry jumped and turned around towards her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Actually I didn't think I would find anyone else here." She smiled at him and sat on the arm chair across from his.

"Good Morning. I wasn't expecting anyone here this early either." He smiled back at her and tried to stop a yawn, "I couldn't sleep… too much going on in my mind. What are you doing up so early?"

"Same thing. Well, I guess I am going to get some breakfast. Would you like to join me?"

As Harry nodded yes, the pair made their way out of the common room and Harry guided Sofia towards the Great Hall.

"I feel like I'm going to need a map and lots time to find my way around. This place is a lot different from my old school." Noticing the curious look on Harry's face, Sofia went on, "I used to attend Beauxbatons. My parents and I moved to France when I was 10 and we just moved back to England. I am sure you are familiar with them, given the Triwizard Tournament and all. Fleur and the other students told us all about you actually"

Harry's faced turned a little red at the mention of Fleur, but he wasn't comfortable discussing the events of that year so he quickly changed the subject.

"So, why did you move to France in the first place?"

"My parents work for the Ministry of Magic, and they were assigned to a division in France. All countries have representatives of their magical community living abroad and representing their policies, and my parents were representing our Ministry of Magic there. They got assigned to something else here, and that's why we are back." Sensing his next question, she went on "I was supposed to stay at Beauxbatons, but my parents wanted me to stay closer to them and decided to send me to Hogwarts. I don't blame them, but I'm sad I had to leave my friends behind."

"I would be too if I were in your place. Hopefully you will enjoy Hogwarts. Apart from a few people, everyone around here is great."

Sofia didn't have to ask whom he was referring too. She might have lived the past few years in France, but she was no stranger to the happenings in England, and she knew about the Malfoy's (and every other dark wizards) animosity towards Harry.

"I am sure I will enjoy it. It will take me a few days to get situated, but I'm happy to be here."

They had made it to the Gryffindor table now. The room was almost empty but it wasn't long after they started eating that more people made their way in. Sofia had sat with her back towards the Slytherin table, and she kept her eyes away from the doors.

A few minutes later Hermione, Ron, Ginny and a boy named Neville joined them and they ate and talked until the mail arrived. Sofia had to retell her story to Hermione and Ron, as well as answer some of their questions and ask her own about them. She liked them and enjoyed their company a lot, especially Hermione's.

Mail arrived and her father's owl landed in front of her. She let the owl eat some of her cereal before taking off again while she read her parents' letter. They were asking about her first impressions as well as asking her to write back once the week was over and she had settled in. As she finished with the letter and put it away, Professor McGonagall was approaching them with their schedules. After going over them together, Sofia was pleased to realize that she would have at least one of the trio with her in every single one of her classes. Her heart sank a little once she realized Gryffindors shared a lot of classes with Slytherins, but she made up her mind that she would not let Draco ruin things for her.

* * *

Their first class of the day was Transfiguration (with the Slytherins) and Sofia walked to the classroom while deliberating with Hermione what new spells they would be learning. Harry and Ron trailed behind discussing Quidditch once again. They sat around the center of the room, with the girls taking the very first seats next to each other. Sofia kept her eyes away from the door and didn't face the front of the room until professor McGonagall was addressing the class.

By the end of class, it was clear to everyone that Hermione had met her match. Sofia seemed to be just as smart and ready to answer any questions. The girls had worked together as a pair during their assignment and judging by their smiles and McGonagall's look of approval, it was obvious that both girls had really hit it off. Harry and Ron were both happy for Hermione, she was their friend but sometimes she was lonely as the only girl (and bookworm) of the group.

After their first class, Hermione and Sofia made their way to Ancient Runes while Ron and Harry went back to the common room for their free period. Both knew they needed to go ahead and start on the enormous load of homework they had just been assigned, but they decided to play Wizard Chess instead. Afterwards, they met the girls for lunch and once they were all done, headed to the dungeons for potions class.

Sofia was nervous, she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid running into Malfoy now, and if all she had already heard about Snape was true, this class was going to be a nightmare.

The four of them settled into a table towards the back, further away from both Snape and Malfoy. Once Snape had instructed the students on what to do, he sat down at his desk and began to work on something else. Harry walked away to get the necessary ingredients and Sofia followed him. She held her breath as she walked by Malfoy, but he didn't seem to notice her. It wasn't until she started to make her way back to her table that he turned around, heading to get ingredients himself, and that's when their eyes met for the first time in years.

The mood in the room seemed to change instantly as both stared at each other. His gray eyes were showing nothing but their usual hatred to everyone, but Sofia recognized a hint of something else. Just as quickly as it came, it was gone and he walked past her without a word. She found her way back to her friends and began to work on the potion, but her mind was racing. Did she imagine that? Did Draco Malfoy show a hint of his old self to her?

Across the room, Malfoy tried his best to concentrate on the instructions and his cauldron, but he couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. He knew they would eventually run into each other but he didn't expect it to be so soon, and he didn't expect it to be when he was caught off guard. She had changed since they last saw each other, but he still recognized that face.

"_She is as beautiful as always_" he thought, before mentally smacking himself. "_Don't start with that now Draco, it's not worth it_," he thought.

"You have 5 minutes,"

Professor Snape's voice brought Draco back to reality. He didn't know how, but he had managed to produce a very good potion, as always. He would never care to admit it to anyone else, but he enjoyed potions and always did well in class. Many were certain his grades were because of Snape, and he was fine with that.

Professor Snape came around checking everyone's potions. As always, he praised Malfoy for his work, humiliated Neville's and ignored Hermione's. However, he studied Sofia's with great attention before turning around and addressing the class.

"Once you have cleaned your area, you are free to go. Ms. Smith, I would like a word with you before you leave."

Sofia's heart sank while everyone gazed at her. She could see sympathy and concern from her fellow Gryffindor's, as well as laugher from a few Slytherins. Once she was done cleaning her area, she walked over to Professor Snape, who didn't address her until the room was empty.

"This morning I received an owl from your previous portion's master. He spoke very highly of you and your abilities with potions. That was a very impressive potion you just produced, but it is too early to decide whether or not I believe Mr. Edward. He also mentioned he used to tutor you after school, in order to develop your skills. He advised me to continue the work with you. Would you want that Ms. Smith?"

"Yes professor"

"I will be watching your performance in this class very closely for the next few days, and I will only honor his request if I believe you have true talent. Are we clear Ms. Smith?"

"Yes sir."

"You may leave now."

Sofia left the room and hurried to her next class. Thankfully, she made it in right before her Muggle Studies teacher did and sat by Hermione, who had saved her a seat.

Later on, the girls met the guys for dinner and Sofia proceeded to tell them what Snape had said. Harry and Ron had looks of pure surprise, disgust and horror when she told them she had agreed to take private lessons with Snape.

"I don't think you realize just how evil he is," Protested Ron.

"He is going to make your life miserable. You should tell him you changed your mind," joined Harry. They turned to Hermione, wanting her to come to their help, but she was smiling at Sofia.

"I think it's brilliant. It will give you a chance to continue with your studies. I wish it didn't have to be Professor Snape, but maybe he will go easy on you since you are new, and so interested in his subject." She looked at both Ron and Harry whose mouths mirrored a perfect "O" and continued, "Oh just stop it! It's not like he offered it to you two. Sofia will be fine!"

"You really think so?" Sofia asked once she could stop laughing at the boy's faces. "I mean, I am a Gryffindor and I hang out with you guys, shouldn't that count against me?"

"Just give it a try, if it doesn't work out, you can just drop it. Well, I'm heading to the library to start on all this homework. Anyone else want to come?" Sofia nodded yes and the girls left.

Later on, while waiting for sleep to come, Sofia thought back on her first day and the look in Malfoy's eye. Trying to push him out of her mind, she finally fell asleep.


	3. Why?

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

3. A huge thanks to Krista and Lauren for reading over the chapters and helping me edit them.

* * *

The remainder of the week went by without any other incidents between her and Malfoy, much to Sofia's happiness.

It was Friday and the only thing standing between them and the weekend was potions class. She had learned just how cruel and unfair Snape could be, especially toward her house, but she thought his cruelty reached a new level when he announced the potion they would be working on. It was a very complex potion that, if prepared correctly, would serve as an antidote to almost every known poison. Sofia had prepared this before, so she wasn't worried, but she remembered just how hard it was and she had expected something a little easier on a Friday afternoon.

She gathered her ingredients and started to work. She helped Hermione as she assisted Harry and Ron (at least as much as they could without Snape noticing), while trying to make sure her potion was perfect. She had realized that this was possibly a test from Snape directed at her, and she was determined to show him she was up to the challenge.

Two hours and 15 minutes later, Snape told the class to stop working. He went over everyone's work, leaving Sofia for last. Once again he did not say a word about her potion and once again he asked to see her after class.

"That was very impressive Ms. Smith. Have you done this potion before?" Sofia nodded her head affirmatively. "I supposed so. I have decided to tutor you. Based on your work so far I believe there is much more you can learn. I have noticed you changed some of the instructions, which I do not usually permit in my class, but I can see you have a natural talent. I am going to ask you to follow my instructions precisely when in class, and you can make any changes you deem necessary during our tutoring hours. We will meet every Tuesday and Thursday nights from seven till nine. You may leave now."

"Thanks professor."

Sofia left and made her way back to the common room to meet her friends.

The trio was astonished to hear Snape had actually said something nice to a Gryffindor, but happy for her.

* * *

Their weekend was filled with a visit to Hagrid, walks around the lake and hours of homework. Sofia and Harry stopped by the Owlery to send out letters late Sunday night. Sofia had told her parents about almost everything that had happened her first week, leaving Malfoy out entirely.

* * *

Tuesday night found Sofia walking to Snape's office in the dungeons for her first tutoring session with Snape. She knew she should be apprehensive and nervous but she was excited about doing something she loved. She knocked, and once told to come in, she entered the room.

As she walked in, she noticed someone else was already sitting down, causing her to gasp. His back was towards her, but she could recognize that blond hair anywhere. Her stomach dropped and she had the sudden urge to turn around and walk away. Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the two men and sat in the only available seat, right next to Draco Malfoy.

"Now that Ms. Smith has been so kind as to join us, we may begin. Both of you are my best students and I will be testing your potion skills for the next few months. You can quit if you decide you can't keep up, or I might tell you to leave. You will be working mostly individually, but I will test your abilities to work together as well. Here is your first assignment." with a flick of his wand, the board was filled with instructions and the ingredients list.

Sofia had never seen this potion before, and by the looks of it, it would take them another week to prepare it fully. She waited until Malfoy returned from the supply cabinet before going there herself. As the night progressed, she found it relatively easy to work so close to him, as both did their best to ignore each other.

She concentrated on her potion and before she knew it, Snape was telling them to stop. After instructing them on how to leave their potions, he dismissed them. Both Malfoy and Sofia walked away without a word. As she walked back to her common room, she could already see and hear the looks and comments from her friends once she told them about Malfoy also being there, but they had no idea of just how serious it really was. She still couldn't believe Malfoy was going to be there as well.

As she got ready for bed, the only thought that crossed her mind was, "_why?_"


	4. Competition

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

3. A huge thanks to Krista and Lauren for reading over the chapters and helping me edit them.

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Sofia and Draco started their tutoring with Snape. They still ignored each other, and Sofia found it increasingly easier to be around him without a storm of emotions hitting her. She tried her best not to let her hand wander to the necklace, not wanting to give it away. And she wondered how he felt about her, about them…

The sound of Snape's voice startled Sofia and she focused on her Professor.

"I was given some very interesting news today. It appears that the Ministry of Magic, along with the Ministries of other countries, has decided to create another interschool competition. It will be nothing like the Triwizard Tournament," Snape added noticing the look on his students faces.

"This time, they want to test another set of abilities, and most importantly your intellect. The competitions will take place for Transfiguration, Charms and Potions. I have selected both of you to represent Hogwarts for Potions. Unlike the Triwizard Tournament, you don't volunteer yourself, you get chosen. You are however, free to decide whether to participate or not. Apart from you two, Ms. Granger and Mr. Wang have been selected for Transfiguration, and Mr. Wayne and Ms. Williams have been selected for Charms. They are being informed as we speak. Do both of you accept your nomination?"

Silence filled the room. Sofia was battling within herself trying to decide if working with Malfoy would be worth it, and she was fairly certain he was fighting the same battle within himself. Professor Snape asked them again, with a hint of impatience, and Sofia was the first to say yes. Once Malfoy had also agreed, Snape explained the rules.

Both students would be tested individually, by taking an exam. Then, they would have to work together to prepare three different potions. The competition was set to last four days, at the end of which an award ceremony would be held, followed by a Ball. The competition was scheduled to take place January twelfth to January fifteenth. Snape waved his wand and instructions appeared on the board.

"Every Potions teacher was given a list with sixteen potions, out of which three will be randomly selected. We will practice them every Tuesday from now on. Thursdays will be dedicated to the written exam. I don't care how you do your work, but you must work together when preparing the potions, and must both be in accordance with what is being done. Are we clear?"

When both Sofia and Draco nodded yes, Snape excused himself to see professor Dumbledore.

Sofia went to get the ingredients before Draco had a chance to move, as she needed to gather herself. Working silently next to him was one thing, but actually interacting with him was going to be a whole lot harder.

Draco watched Sofia from the corner of his eyes; it had been so long since they last saw each other. He wasn't sure how he was going to do this, he wasn't expecting to see her ever again, and here she was at Hogwarts - and here they were, about to work together, about to compete together.

Sofia finally gathered enough courage to turn around and return to the table. She wasn't sure of what to say, but something needed to be said. Before she could open her mouth however, Draco beat her to it.

"Have you ever done this before?"

Sofia looked back at the board and smiled. Yes, her previous professor had taught her that potion. She turned towards Draco, her smile fading.

"Yes, but only once. It's not as hard as it seems, it just takes a while"

"I never said it was hard Smith, just asked if you had done it before. Let's get started".

Sofia hated that tone, hated how he addressed everyone else as if they were less than him but most importantly, she hated how he called her "Smith".

Much to their surprise, working together wasn't nearly as hard as they thought it would be. Focusing on the task ahead, they worked in perfect harmony.

When professor Snape came back, just a few minutes before it was time to go, he inspected their final work. He seemed very pleased with the potion and gave them just a few suggestions. When dismissed, Sofia and Draco left the room in silence. Sofia was just about to turn towards the stairs when she heard Draco clear his throat.

"I wonder how your parents are going to react once they find out you are working with a Malfoy. I'm sure daddy won't be pleased. On the other hand, you should consider yourself lucky; it's not every day that you get the chance to spend time with a superior person like me." The smirk on his face made Sofia feel like punching him.

"I am sure they won't be as shocked as your parents, or your Slytherin friends. How are you going to keep on pretending to be so cool while participating in a competition like this?"

Sofia knew she had hit the nail in the head. She knew how much Malfoy's reputation meant to him.

"And as for working with you, that's a downside I will have to deal with, but thankfully I will only have to do so on Tuesdays." Without waiting for his reply, she turned and left.

* * *

When Sofia made it back to the common room, she was nearly knocked to the floor as Hermione hugged her and told her how excited she was they had been picked for the competition. The boys congratulated Sofia, and went on about how unfortunate it was she would have to work with the only Slytherin on the team.

"Maybe you can _accidentally_ poison Malfoy" Ron said, a wild sparkle in his eyes

"Ronald" Said Hermione, with a disapproving look.

"What, I said accidentally"

Both Harry and Sofia were laughing, but Hermione still had a stern expression.

"Good one mate, only his Slytherins friends would care. Sofia would be making us all a favor" Harry joined in "And she can always claim she _had no idea_ that certain ingredient would poison him. Accidents do happen Hermione"

"Those potions _are_ very advanced…" Sofia said, joining in as well.

"Sofia!" Hermione cried, surprised she was playing along with the guys and causing Harry and Ron to laugh even harder.

"What? They really are" Sofia said with an innocent expression

"Can we focus? We have to finish this essay" Hermione said grabbing her feather and ink.

They worked on their assignments until late, which thankfully meant Sofia's brain was too tired to think and she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.


	5. Changing

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

3. A huge thanks to Krista and Lauren for reading over the chapters and helping me edit them.

* * *

It was mid-October, and the cold winter winds were starting to blow. It was the weekend of their first visit to Hogsmeade and although Harry, Ron and Hermione had been there several times before, Sofia hadn't, and they were eager to show her around. After stopping by all shops and stocking up on candy, the group decided to stop by The Three Broomsticks for some Butterbeer. They ran into Hagrid and remained with him until it was time to head back.

After a warm shower, dinner, and five consecutive losses to Ron on wizard's chess, Sofia decided it was time to write back to her parents, and some of her Beauxbatons friends. Ever since she told her parents about working with Draco, the number of letters they sent had increased. She was not surprised, after all he was a Malfoy, but she wish they would stop.

Her friends were a little less concerned and more playful about the whole thing, which she really appreciated. However, she wished she could have a friend who truly knew the whole story between her and Malfoy, who could truly appreciate how hard this was on her, and give her some much needed advice.

She looked at her watch and noticed she still had time to take the letters to a school owl. Getting up, she told her friends where she was going, and left. She made it to the Owlery and chose 4 different owls to deliver her letters. She watched them fly away for a brief second before the night engulfed them, her mind flashing back to the previous Thursday night, and for the thousandth time she wondered if that had really taken place.

_Snape had both her and Malfoy reading notes for the duration of their tutoring. By the time they left, Sofia felt as if her mind was going to explode. She wanted nothing more than to go to bed, but knew she still had work to do for classes. _

_Next to her, Malfoy also walked in silence, whishing he could get some sleep. He didn't realize someone was speaking until Sofia stepped in front of him. _

_"What?" he rudely asked._

_Sofia sighed. _

_"You dropped your notes Malfoy, but if this is how you are going to address me, I'll just leave them on the floor next time." She pushed his notes towards him and turned to walk way. _

_"Wait, I was wondering, what did you think of question twenty?" Draco watched as Sofia's face went from anger to confusion. _

_"Umm, I'm not sure I understand."_

_"With a slow brain like that I am surprised you got picked for this competition in the first place. I am asking you what question twenty sounds like."_

_"Always nice to chat with you Malfoy, you are such a nice and pleasant person." _

_Sofia couldn't help herself, she knew better than to insult him back, but since hitting him wasn't exactly an option, this would have to do._

_"I didn't really think anything was special about it. It's a question like all the others. Why do you ask?"_

_"I know what the notes say the answer is, but I think there is another possibility. Just wondering if you considered it as well, but apparently my knowledge is way more advanced." His smirk was back, which only infuriated Sofia even more. _

_Determined not to let him win, Sofia spat back, "If you were considering Unicorn hair," and she could tell by the look on his face that she was right, "That wouldn't work, it would react negatively with the geranium and cause the whole thing to explode." _

_Sofia stood there and watched as Malfoy struggled to find the words to get back at her. Before he could, however, they were interrupted._

_"Draco, there you are!" Pansy had spotted them and was walking in their direction. "What are you doing here with her?" Pansy shot Sofia a look that said very clearly exactly what she thought of her. _

_Sofia looked at Malfoy one more time and was about to leave when Pansy spoke again. _

_"I don't care that the two of you are competing together, stay away from him Smith, he is mine"._

_"Believe me Pansy, he is the last person on earth I would want. You can have him." _

_And with that Sofia turned around to leave hoping no one had noticed how her hand grabbed hold of her necklace at the word "mine". As her eyes met Malfoy's she knew he had seen it. The look he gave her was a mixture of disbelief and surprise. Sofia hurried away._

Sofia came back to the present just in time to realize curfew was almost over. She would have to hurry back to Gryffindor's tower or she would be in trouble.

She was happy to find her friends still sitting in the common room when she made it back and she joined them, doing her best to keep Malfoy away from her thoughts.

* * *

Malfoy was doing his rounds (as part of his prefect duties) when he saw her. She was walking fast, obviously trying to make it back before curfew was over. He contemplated stopping her and finding a reason to deduct points from Gryffindor, but ever since Thursday night he wasn't sure he was ready to address her. He had gone over it in his mind again and again, trying to convince himself he imagined what he saw, but he knew deep inside he didn't imagine it all.

Her hands were holding a pendent and even though he couldn't see it, he knew exactly what it was. The silver chain held a small rose, with black diamond petals and silver stem. Black roses where her favorite and that's why he'd had that pendant made for her. He still remembered the day he gave it to her, the way she smiled and her eyes shone. As he placed it on her neck, he told her she should never take it off, this way she would have a piece of him with her no matter what and he could always find her. "I promise," she said, before hugging him tight. He was amazed that after those last few days, she had kept her promise.

He wasn't sure of what exactly, but he could tell something was no longer the same, and he hated it. Draco was proud of himself for his amazing skills of self-control, but ever since he saw her again after all those years apart he seemed to find it harder and harder to control himself, especially around her.

Seeing her with the necklace had changed something in him. Last week, he was casting spells at unaware first years with Crab and Goyle when Sofia walked by. The look she gave him was one of pure disappointment. Almost immediately, he put his wand back in his robe's pocket and walked away, leaving his friends wondering what had happened. And this morning he had wasted the perfect opportunity to make fun of Potter when Weasley performed the wrong spell on him, causing Potter's hair to turn bright pink, because he was within earshot of Sofia.

Shaking his head, he made his way back to his common room.


	6. Turning point

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

3. A huge thanks to Krista and Lauren for reading over the chapters and helping me edit them.

* * *

Sofia missed her old school and friends, but had adapted to Hogwarts with ease. She loved most of her classes and teachers, made new amazing friends and was making good grades as always. Even things with Malfoy seemed to be getting better. All in all, the past few days had been great.

Two weeks had passed since Malfoy had seen her grabbing the pendant, but neither of them brought it up. She preferred it like that, as it would be much harder to keep control of her emotions if he had decided to question her. Once or twice however, she caught him staring at her neck, trying to get a glimpse of it, as if to be sure it was the one he had given her all those years ago.

"Sofia, you have a letter."

Hermione's voice brought her back to earth, and only then did she realize her father's owl was trying to get her attention. She took the letter from the owl, thanked Hermione and began to read. As she did, she felt all oxygen leave her body and her eyes began to fill with tears.

"Sofia, what's wrong?"

She could vaguely hear Hermione, Ron and Harry talking to her, as all she could do was stare at the letter in complete disbelief.

After a few more seconds, she began to hyperventilate. Deciding she needed some alone time, she got up and ran away holding the letter. She had no idea where she was going or how she hadn't run into anything yet, but she did not stop until she could no longer breathe.

Looking up she realized she was standing in the shade of a tree by the lake, the same one she had been under countless times with the trio since she started at Hogwarts. She sat down in the grass with her back against the tree and finally allowed her tears to fall down. It was a beautiful day, with the sun shining bright and the early November blowing its cold wind, but Sofia didn't see or feel any of it.

She wanted to read the letter again, but knew there was no need to. Her father's words had been very clear, even though he had tried to break the news as easily as possible. He had apologized profusely that neither him nor mom had been able to come tell it to her in person, but promised they would be at Hogwarts within the next few days. They had wanted her to hear from them before reading about it in the news. They said Dumbledore and her teachers had been informed and she could take the day of if she needed to.

They said it was going to be ok.

* * *

Draco watched as Professor McGonagall spoke with Harry, Ron and Hermione seconds after Sofia had run out of the Great Hall. He could see Hermione's eyes filling up with tears and the look of concern on their faces.

Once they were done talking, the trio left and Draco followed from a distance. He watched them make their way up the stairs, no doubt going to class. He wondered where Sofia was, and why she ran away the way she did.

Stepping into an unused classroom, Draco said the familiar spell for the first time in years.

* * *

Sofia wasn't sure how long it had been since she first sat by the tree. Her tears were still flowing, but she was no longer hyperventilating. Numbness had started to spread inside of her, and all she could do was stare at the lake, her mind thousands of miles away. She was so distracted it took her a few minutes to notice the sudden warmness of her pendant.

At first, she thought she was imagining it, but as the sound of footsteps drew near, she knew what had happen. The day he gave her the necklace he explained how, with a simple spell, the pendant would lead him to wherever she was and the pendant would warm up so that she knew he was coming for her.

"Not now Malfoy," was all she could say when his figure stopped in front of her.

Draco studied the girl in front of him. One of his favorite things about her had always been her abilities to control her emotions and stay strong, at least on the outside, as he always did. Ever since they met, it was one of the first things they found they had in common and it was the reason why he found himself studying her so intensely now. He had never seen her like this, not even the day it ended between them. Yet here she was, so vulnerable. He sat down next to her without a word and they sat next to each other for a few minutes, comfortable in the silence. It was Sofia whom finally spoke.

"What are you doing here Malfoy? Don't you have classes to attend and innocent by passers to torment?" Her tone was flat and she was doing her best to keep her emotions in check.

"It appears as if my services were needed elsewhere. Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"I have no idea what kind of services you think I might need from anyone, let alone you, but I would like to be left alone."

With that, Sofia got up to leave, but Draco got up just as fast and gently grabbed her by the arm. Besides everything else, his touch made her skin shiver. They were now face to face (Draco still holding her arm), as his piercing eyes were staring right at hers. She had no more energy to fight him off and thinking he would leave her alone sooner if she told him, she inhaled deeply before speaking.

"Do you remember my friend Anna, the one I grew up with?" He shook his head affirmatively "I received a letter from my parents this morning. They told me that Anna and her whole family were found dead yesterday. The dark mark was above their house." She fought back a few more tears and went on, "her parents were aurors working against Voldemort and his forces. They are not sure why Anna was home and not in school… she could still be alive and I… I just can't believe she's gone!"

His eyes were still staring into hers and before she could do or say anything else, Draco was wrapping his arms around her. Every fiber in her body welcomed his touch, and for a moment she felt like they had never parted. She felt a little better as she realized how, after all those years, he could still make her feel calm and protected.

Draco was sure no one was watching them, and he let himself enjoy this moment. It had been so long since he had her in his arms, since he felt so complete. He now realized how much he truly missed her and could not believe he had let her go. He knew why he had, and why he still should, but he also knew he could not bear to lose her again.

Draco finally pulled away from her, both of them secretly wishing they could have remained like that forever. He wiped the tears from her face before turning and leaving.

Sofia sat back down, feeling more emotionally overwhelmed than before Malfoy had come.

A few minutes later, professor Dumbledore approached her. Something in his expression seemed to suggest he had seen Draco hug her, but he did not mention it. They talked for a while and when she was ready, walked together to his office where Sofia's parents were waiting for her. They had been able to come earlier than scheduled and she was grateful for it.

Later, after her parents had left and she had finally spoken to the trio about what had happened, an exhausted Sofia made her way to bed. She was about to pull away the covers to lay down when she noticed a small piece of parchment neatly folded, with a single black petal sitting above it. The petal had been his signature ever since they first started writing each other.

With shaky hands, Sofia opened the letter.

**Meet me at the astronomy tower. **

**Saturday, 9pm**

Her heart skipped a beat. No, it skipped several beats. What on earth was going on? Why was Malfoy suddenly so concerned and nice and why did he want to meet with her?

Sofia was even more grateful for the potion Madame Pomfrey had given her earlier on so that she could sleep without dreaming. With all that had happened today, she was really going to need it.


	7. Choices

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

3. A huge thanks to Krista and Lauren for reading over the chapters and helping me edit them.

* * *

In between grieving, classes and homework, the next couple of days went by in a haze. Before she knew it, it was Saturday night and she had 30 more minutes to decide whether or not to go see Malfoy.

"I am going for a walk," She announced fifteen minutes later. The trio asked if she was ok or needed them to come along, but she said she needed some alone time. Thanking them, she turned to leave but Harry got up.

"Here" he said, pulling something from his book bag. He handed Sofia a folded cloak, leaned in and whispered in her ear. "It is an invisibly cloak. This way you won't have to worry about getting caught after hours. Watch out for Mr. Filch's cat, we think she can see past the cloak". Sofia thanked him and left.

Sofia found Harry's cape quite interesting, but she didn't like how inconvenient it was, having to make sure the cape was always covering her entirely. She had learned how to cast a Disillusionment Charm at the age of eleven and, although not as reliable as the cape, she enjoyed being invisible herself and moving around freely. As she approached the tower she stopped, suddenly not sure she was doing the right thing. Her watch showed 8:59pm, and with one final deep breath, she began to climb up the stairs.

Draco looked down at his watch once more. 8:59pm. He continued to stare at the sky, thinking back at the nights when he and Sofia laid side by side star gazing and talking for hours on end. He could still remember how her eyes used to shine just as bright as the stars she watched so intensely.

His back was turned to the tower door, but he heard her come in and he looked at his watch once more, 9pm. He smiled, punctual as always. Sofia stepped outside and closed the door. It was a beautiful night, the sky covered with bright shinny specks. The cold winter air should be blowing hard this high, but she supposed Malfoy had casted a spell to keep them warm. She knew he was aware of her presence, and decided to wait for him to speak first. She walked towards him and stopped by his side. She was nervous at first, but gradually relaxed as she focused on the night. Several owls flew by and she watched them as they hunted.

"I wasn't sure you would come… but I'm glad you did" Malfoy's voice startled her.

"I wasn't sure I would either…" Malfoy waited for Sofia to go on. When she didn't, he took a deep breath and continued.

"I can't believe you still have the necklace I gave you, nor that you wear it"

"Some people actually keep their promises Malfoy". She halfway regretted the words as soon as she spoke them. It was the truth, but she didn't want to start a fight. Then again, if he wanted to talk, he would have to deal with it.

"I had to do it Sofia, you don't understand. I am a Malfoy, I have certain rules to follow and I have to behave a certain way… and we were just kids. I couldn't just turn my back on my family and everything I know" He wasn't pleading with her; his tone was flat, as if stating the obvious but with a slight hint of anger.

"No. But you could turn your back on me, and it was exactly what you did. I thought we were best friends, I thought we had agreed on facing it all together. I spent countless hours listening to you describe some of the things your dad had done or continued to do, and how you wanted to be different. You said you wanted to be better and turn your back on him, but bravery isn't really what Slytherins are known for, right?" She didn't want to talk about it anymore; she didn't want to be here for another second.

Turning, she ran towards the door and just as her hand got hold of the door handle she heard a faint "I'm sorry".

Sofia froze. She could not believe it, it couldn't be. Malfoy's don't apologize, ever! Right? She heard him walking towards her and turned to face him. Their eyes met. His cold, grey eyes were troubled.

"I am… sorry for hurting you Sofia, but I am not sorry for what I did. I had to do it".

He spoke the words as if they tasted bad in his mouth, and they probably did. His eyes however, betrayed him. Sofia knew she was probably the only person to ever hear a Malfoy apologize, and hearing it from Draco about her, was even harder to believe. She also finally realized he had called her Sofia, and more than once.

"Thanks Malfoy… I… but… this doesn't change what you did and certainly doesn't change all that happened because of your decision. I might have been in France for the past few years, but I know what your father did to Ginny, how you tried to get Hagrid and Dumbledore gone, how miserable you made Harry's life and how your father has been manipulating the Minister of Magic all this time. I also know about some of the things he has done under Voldemort's orders in the past two years. That's not the Draco Malfoy I want to have as a friend and most certainly not the Malfoy I used to know. I'm afraid you turned out to be just as bad as your father" At her final words, Draco recoiled, as if her words had physically hurt him.

"I know it doesn't change what I have done and I realize I am just like my father in many ways, but I didn't ask you to come here because of the past. I asked you to come here to give me another chance".

Silence filled the air. Sofia and Draco stood inches apart, facing each other. More than once, he thought she was about to say something, but she never did. Inside her head, Sofia was struggling to decide whether or not she believed he deserved another chance. Finally, Sofia broke of their eye contact. Draco watched as she turned to leave, fear feeling him inside. As she was about to disappear thru the door, she hesitated and finally turned around.

"I'm also glad I came Draco". And she was gone.


	8. A fresh start

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

3. A huge thanks to Krista and Lauren for reading over the chapters and helping me edit them.

* * *

December came bringing snow and freezing winds. Inside the castle, Hagrid and the other teachers had done an incredible job decorating for Christmas. Sofia was absolutely in love with the twelve trees in the Great Hall and found the singing armors in the hallways particularly amusing. The past weeks had flown by thanks to the enormous amount of homework and the intense potions training, and she couldn't wait for the break.

Harry had been meeting with professor Dumbledore a lot lately, and she wondered why. The trio had trusted her with many things, but she knew it would be a while before they could ever trust her the way they trusted each other. She had gotten to know Ron a lot better lately, as he would come to the library with her and Hermione when Harry was gone. They were all so busy, it was hard for the four of them to be together and not have to study or do any homework.

There was one more visit to Hogsmeade the last weekend before the break, and the four of them agreed to spend it together, enjoying each other. Sofia and Hermione decided to go shopping for the Ministry of Magic Christmas party, and the Ball after their competition and the boys would come meet them afterwards.

Saturday morning found the girls up early, putting on lawyers of clothes so not to freeze later on. The boys had decided to meet them for lunch and the girls wanted as much time to shop as possible before then.

Once ready, they headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Because it was still early, the Hall was almost empty. Apart from them, there were three students at the Ravenclaw table, five at the Hufflepuff's, and one person at the Slytherin table, Malfoy.

Things between her and Malfoy hadn't changed much since their conversation in the tower, although she had overheard Harry telling Ron the other night that Malfoy seemed to be a little off, as he no longer made offensive remarks towards others as often as he used to. She wondered why Draco was up so early, but the smell of bacon and eggs brought her attention back to her table. After a quick breakfast, the girls made their way to Mr. Filch and once clear, to Hogsmeade.

After three stores, four hours and countless dresses, the girls met with the boys for lunch, tired but extremely satisfied. After lunch, they leisurely walked around, stopping to buy candy before heading back to Hogwarts. They spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the snow with Ginny, Neville, and Luna.

Their boys against girls snow Ball fight had been ferocious. Sofia learned just how painful a snowBall to the side of her heard could be, as she caught a glimpse of blond hair in the distance, momentarily loosing focus in the fight. She redeemed herself a few minutes later, by hitting Harry twice in a row. Tired, wet and cold, they made their way back to the Gryffindor tower when it became too dark for them to see well enough to aim.

Before heading to dinner, Sofia decided to take a warm shower. As she sat in bed and reached for her trunk, she saw it. Another piece of parchment, another black petal. Forgetting about her shower entirely, she grabbed the parchment and read it

**I hope you are not too tired from this afternoon. **

**Meet me at the first room out of the Great Hall, to the left, 8pm**.

Excitement and curiosity filled Sofia. As she put the letter away and headed to the shower, she could not help but to smile wondering what Malfoy had in store this time.

* * *

After dinner, Sofia and the trio sat by the fireplace in the common room. Harry and Ron were playing chess, Hermione was reading and Sofia was talking to Ginny. At seven forty-five she excused herself for another walk and left. She made it to the room with a few minutes to spare, but Malfoy was already there.

"Ready?" He said.

Staring at him, she noticed how the left corner of his mouth raised a few inches, and she felt her stomach turn. She had always loved the way he smiled like that, mysteriously and mischievously.

"For what?"

She finally said, noticing for the first time how he was dressed with many more layers than she was. Draco silently casted three spells and he watched as Sofia's eyes traced his wand's movements.

"Disillusionment charm and two spells to keep us warm and erase our trace in the snow. And just in case".

He took off his jacket as he spoke and walked towards her, stopping behind her. He held the jacket up and waited for her to slide her arms in.

"Thank you. I would have come better prepared had I known we were going outside"

They left the castle together, Sofia following as Draco led the way. They made it to the edge of the Forbidden Forrest and Sofia stopped as Draco headed between the trees. Turning around, he noticed she was still at the edge and made his way back to her.

"I thought we weren't supposed to go in there Malfoy".

"We are not, and after I had a bad experience my first year I never thought I would come near this place again. But the castle can get crowded sometimes and I needed a place to myself" Noticing the skeptical look on her face at his mention of the castle being crowded, he smiled and went on "Ok, maybe not exactly crowded, but you can't truly be alone in there, so I found a place where I can. And you will be the first person besides me to see it."

Sofia still had a hesitant look, so Draco took a few more steps closer to her and held his hand out.

"Do you trust me?"

Those four words caused a true battle inside Sofia's head, with one side screaming NO just as the other side screamed YES. In the end, she wasn't sure why she decided to go, but she grabbed his hand and nodded positively. As they continued to walk deeper into the forest, Sofia expected Draco to let go of her hand but he didn't, until they reached a particularly dense area. The trunks were so close together there was absolutely no way they could continue. Starting to wonder they might be lost and trying not to panic over that thought, she didn't notice as Draco took his wand out of his jacket and casted a spell.

Sofia's mouth was a perfect "O" as she watched the trunks unfold and move out of the way, creating enough room for them to pass. Malfoy went first and when Sofia stepped thru, her "O" grew even further.

They were standing on the edge of a meadow, the size of half a quidditch field. Most of the area was taken over by a lake, currently frozen, and the remaining area was clear, except for a massive tree near the lake's edge. Without noticing, Sofia headed towards the tree, transfixed by the beauty of the place, as the ice reflected the moon and the ground seemed to shine. When she reached the tree, she noticed several blankets and pillows spread around.

She traced the tree with her hand as she walked around it, absorbing its enormous size. She heard Draco coming her way and once he stood by her side, she turned towards him.

"Malfoy, this, this is amazing!"

"Yes, it is. I love this place and how quiet it is. I haven't changed a thing but adding the pillows and blanket and creating the magic protection."

"Do you come here a lot?"

"As much as I can, especially during the winter. Now, are you ready to ice skate? It is one of my favorite things to do when the lake freezes"

"Ummm..." She looked hesitant "I haven't ice skated in a while, I'm not sure I still can" She smiled nervously.

"I'll help you. Promise I won't let you fall. I came here earlier this morning to cast a spell on the lake, to ensure it won't crack. You will be perfectly fine".

They sat down to put on their skates and once ready Draco helped Sofia up and onto the lake. She was very hesitant at first, but with time she grew more and more confident. By the end of the hour, she had even skated without holding on to him for a while. At ten thirty, they sat down for a mug of hot chocolate.

"Have you ever encountered any of the creatures that live in the Forest?"

"Yes, mainly Centaurs. They are not very friendly, but once I explained my intentions they were ok. After a while, I think they realized I really meant no harm and that I really wanted to be alone, so they don't approach me anymore. I can still see or hear them around sometimes though."

"And what was your scary experience here?"

"I am not sure I should tell you."

"C'mon Malfoy, tell me!"

Malfoy seemed to consider it for a while, before finally turning his attention back to Sofia.

"Ok. Me and Potter where here, late at night, as part of our detention and we ran into a creature drinking the blood from a dead unicorn."

Sofia made a disgusted face.

"Who would do such a thing? That is awful!"

"Voldemort." He watched as her expression hardened. "From what my father told me, Voldemort was trying to keep himself alive with the blood, while he tried to steal the Sorceress stone and produce the elixir that would keep him alive forever. When me and Potter saw him, I panicked and ran away. I had no idea of what I had seen or how Potter had escaped until Voldemort himself told his followers, and father then told me. That was almost two years ago, over the summer break and as soon as we came back to Hogwarts, I decided it was safe to explore the Forrest."

Sofia sighed, still looking troubled.

"I am glad you did, this place is beautiful."

She finally said, her face softening a little. They fell silent once more and Sofia watched Draco, as he seemed to struggle with something.

"What's wrong Malfoy?"

"I… just… it's… I am wondering how things are going to turn out between us this time…"

"Whatever problems we had back then don't exist anymore. It's why we have this second chance, and we can't throw it away. Besides, you were the one who said we're not exactly the same as we were back then. If we're not the same, then things can turn out differently*."

Draco turned back towards Sofia and studied her intensively. She was right, they were no longer the same and things between them were definitely different. Reaching for her hand, he gently squeezed it.

When they were done drinking their hot chocolate, Draco led the way out and back to the castle. Once inside the room where they first met, Sofia handed Draco his jacket back and thanked him for the night.

"I am glad you enjoyed it. I will take you there again if you want to. Have a great night Sofia" and with that, he closed the distance between them, kissed her in her forehead and left.

Sofia had no idea of how long she stood planted in place after Draco had kissed her, but by the time she finally made it back to the common room, everyone was already in bed. Well, almost everyone.

Sitting in one of the armchairs by the fireplace, Hermione was holding a piece of paper that looked like a map, staring at Sofia in utter disbelief.

* Michelle Madow, Remembrance


	9. An ally

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

3. A huge thanks to Krista and Lauren for reading over the chapters and helping me edit them.

* * *

"Mione, what are you doing up so late?"

"We were getting worried when you didn't come back and it got late, so I asked Harry for this map, which shows the entire castle and everyone in it. I was looking for you… "

"And you saw me with Malfoy." Sofia said with a sinking feeling.

"Yes, and Sofia, what were you doing with him? I don't understand!"

Sofia took a deep breath. "How tired are you Hermione?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Do you want me to explain everything?" When Hermione nodded, she went on "Ok, this is going to be a long story, and you are the first person ever to hear it. Ok, so, it all started when we, me and Malfoy, were five years old…"

Later, when Sofia was finally done telling her story, she waited for Hermione to say something. She had been quiet ever since Sofia began speaking and her expression was hard to read.

"This seems almost too surreal to actually believe in it. That's definitely a different Malfoy than the one I've known for almost six years now… can I see your pendant?"

Sofia pulled her necklace out and handed it to Hermione.

"It is beautiful! As much as I hate to admit it, Malfoy does have good taste" She handed the necklace back to Sofia.

"I am really sorry I didn't tell you any of this before, but neither me nor Draco have ever told anyone about. We always believed it would be better to keep it to ourselves. Please know that what we have won't affect my friendship with you and the boys."

"You don't have to apologize, I understand"

"You are not going to tell anyone, especially the boys right Mione? Please!"

"No, of course not. This stays between us, that's what friends are for" Sofia smiled at Hermione, truly grateful for their friendship. "You can come to me about this from now on if you would like. I can only imagine how hard it must have been hiding it from everyone. But I hope you do realize how lucky you are that I was the one who saw you two together. I'm not sure the boys would have been so understanding. Harry maybe, but Ron, I doubt it."

"Mione, I cannot thank you enough! And yes, I am grateful it was you and not them. Now I need to figure out how to keep me and Malfoy from showing in the map, or we could be in big trouble."

"So, you are going to see him again?"

"Yes, I have decided to give him another chance, even if he doesn't quite deserve it."

"There is a lot of history between the two of you, so I guess it makes sense. Nevertheless, be careful Sofia, he is a Malfoy after all and if he chose the dark side over you once, it might happen again. I hate to be so blunt about it, but you are my friend and I am a little worried"

"It's ok, I understand. I think about that all the time, but still can't get myself to turn him down. Whew, what a night! I'm going to bed, are you coming?"

Hermione nodded and followed Sofia to their room.

* * *

It was the following Saturday and the Great Hall was busy with students saying their goodbyes and heading outside to catch a chariot to the train station.

Sofia, Ginny and the trio spent most of their trip back to London eating sweets from the trolley and playing games. As they made it to Platform 9 ¾, Sofia introduced her parents to the Granger's and Weasley's.

While everyone else was talking Hermione pulled Sofia to the side.

"Don't forget to send me an owl after the Christmas Party! I can't wait to hear what happens between you and black petal guy"

Sofia laughed, as she always did, when Hermione called Draco like that. It was their way of talking about him without using his actual name, and it had been Hermione's idea. Once she had accepted the idea that Malfoy could be nice, she was really excited about Sofia and him.

"Happy Christmas Sofia"

"Happy Christmas Mione"

After everyone had said their goodbyes, Sofia and her parents apparated back to their house.

* * *

Sofia unpacked and headed back downstairs to her father's library. He was sitting with her mom, drinking tea by the window and she joined them. They spent the next few hours going over her life at Hogwarts and the upcoming competition. They ate dinner in the kitchen, and afterwards Sofia's father sat by the fireplace to read while Sofia showed her mother her new dresses.

It was past midnight when she finally went to bed. She was laying comfortably in bed when she heard an owl hit her window with its claws. She sat up, her heart beating fast. The only times an owl had visited her in her room late at night, had been when Malfoy had wanted her to come out and meet him, which had happened several times before. She opened the window and watched as the owl flew over her bed, dropped a letter and flew away. As she approached her bed, she realized she had been right; it was an envelope from Malfoy.

Ten minutes later, Sofia apparated in the woods by her house in the familiar spot she had apparated in so many times before. That had been their meeting place for years, just outside the magical protection of her home, yet close enough that the younger Sofia didn't feel so bad to be out without her parents knowledge.

Draco was already there, waiting for her with blankets, pillows and hot chocolate. It was just like the old times, two best friends enjoying each other's company and the night that surrounded them.

"I can't believe we are actually here. I never thought we would speak again and I was certain we would never share a moment like this once more" Sofia said.

"I didn't either. I never planned on speaking to you again after we said our goodbyes".

"Said our goodbyes? Is that what you think happened?"

Draco sighed.

"No, I know it wasn't… I understand I can never take back what I did and said, but I will make it up to you though".

"And how exactly do you plan on making it up to me?"

They were laying side by side staring at the sky, so Sofia couldn't see Draco's face as he smiled.

"I haven't figured it out, but I am doing my best to"

They fell silent after that, happy to enjoy each other's company. To a lot of people, silence was uncomfortable. To them, it was just the opposite. As Sofia yawned for the fourth time in a row, Draco helped her get up and ready to leave.

"Will I see you tomorrow at the Ministry's party?" he asked, as they folded the blankets.

"Yes. We haven't attended one since we moved to France, so we won't miss tomorrow's. Will be just like the old times with our parents pretending to be nice, the Minister oblivious to their hatred and the two of us keeping our distance until we get a chance to sneak away for a while…" She said, looking past Draco and clearly lost in her memories.

"Good times" she finally said, focusing her eyes on his. She laughed and Draco wished she would never stop.

"Night Malfoy, see you tomorrow"

"Night Sofia"

They apparated at the same time, and both went to bed feeling happier than they had in a while.

* * *

It was past eleven when their house elf came in to wake Sofia up. She showered and went downstairs to meet her parents for lunch. The living room was spacious, with big windows going from the celling to the floor, facing her mother's garden. In the spring and summer time, her mother planted so many flowers of so many different colors that one almost felt as if staring at a multicolored ocean when looking out of the window. Today however, the grounds where white with fresh snow that had fallen over night.

"There you are! Glad you finally woke up sweetie. I had no idea you were so tired"

"Mia actually woke me up mum. I had no idea either, but it felt so good sleeping this late".

Sofia hated lying to her parents, and could only imagine how mad they would get if they found out where, and most importantly with whom, she had been out last night.

"Are they keeping you that busy at Hogwarts?" Her dad asked, with a mocking tone.

"Yes, dad" She said smiling.

It was true, between classes and Potion training she really was busy, he just didn't need to know a certain Malfoy was adding up to that.

Mia came in bringing their food and they talked about non important things while eating lunch. When they were done, Sofia and her mom went to a spa in downtown London for a relaxing afternoon. Even though they were pure blooded, Sofia and her family had no problems visiting the Muggle world and interacting with the people there. Sofia particularly enjoyed the mother-daughter activities she shared with her mom, such as the spa.

* * *

When they arrived back home, Sofia went to her room to get ready for the Christmas party. As she faced herself in the mirror, thirty minutes later, she was very pleased with the final result. Her hair was down, curled just at the end, and her bangs were pulled to the left side with an elegant pendant. Her makeup was simple, but highlighted her green eyes. Her deep purple dress was tight around her upper body, with an intricate silver pattern over its tick straps. Right below her chest, the same intricate pattern encircled her, accentuating her figure. The rest of the dress fell loosely around her. She never really cared about dressing to impress, but tonight was different. She wanted to look stunning for Draco.

She met her parents by the front door, and together they apparated to the Ministry of Magic. The Christmas party was held at the atrium. Small round tables had been scattered around, and the main table, where the Minister sits with his family and close friends, was located by the fountain. Apart from the Minister's table, the sits were not assigned. The atrium was beautifully decorated, and the room was already filled with the sound of people talking and laughing, as well as the delicious smell from the appetizers floating around in trays.

Sofia and her parents made their way to the Minister, stopping to say hello to a few friends on the way. It was Sofia's first time back in the Ministry in years and she enjoyed seeing some of her old friends, and her parent's old coworkers. As they approached Mr. Fudge, Sofia's stomach turned upside down as she realized he was talking to Lucius Malfoy. Standing next to him was his wife, Narcissa, and standing between his parents was Draco. Sofia still couldn't believe Lucius had managed to escape the Ministry before the aurors came that previous spring. Only members of the Oder of the Phoenix and their allies knew Lucius was still working for Voldemort. The Minister remained oblivious.

"Caleb, Olivia, Sofia! You made it. Welcome, welcome!" He shook each of their hands. "It it's good to have you here. Are you enjoying Hogwarts Ms. Sofia?"

"Yes sir, I am"

"Good, good. I was told you and young Mr. Malfoy here are competing together next month?" Sofia shook her head affirmatively. "Wonderful. We have been working hard to put this new tournament together and it is good to know Hogwarts has such great students representing the school"

"Thank you Minister"

"I bet all of you are very proud of your kids, huh?" The Minister asked, as he looked from the Malfoy's to the Smith's.

Sofia and Draco watched as their parents shook their heads while displaying very fake smiles. Sofia and Draco risked a look at each other, both wanting to burst out laughing at the situation.

"It's been a pleasure seeing you Minister, but if you could excuse us, we have a few more people to visit with. Come Sofia." And with that, the Smiths left.

Draco had seen Sofia dressed up before, but tonight was different. She was stunning! As he watched her from the corner of his eyes, he wished they could be alone for a while, but he needed to figure out how to get her away.

When dinner time came, Sofia and her parents were sitting in a table with three other couples, all friends of her parents. The Malfoy's were siting just a few tables away.

"Draco, are you staring at the Smith girl?"

Lucius Malfoy's voice, full of venom, was loud enough that only his son could hear him.

"Of course not father, I was simply wondering why Mr. Johnson got invited. That mud-blood should not be here. He is such a disgrace to the magical community"

Draco had learned long ago to lie, and had done it so many times it came naturally, but even he had to admit this was a quick recovery.

"Good, it is bad enough you have to spend hours with her every Tuesday and Thursday, no matter how talented Snape says she is. That family is almost as bad as the Weasley's and we should not associate with them. Am I clear?"

"Yes father."

A few years back, his father's words about the Smiths had held much more importance than they did now. As dinner progressed Draco continued to watch Sofia, this time more carefully, waiting for an opportunity to sneak away to see her.

* * *

Dinner was as delicious as Sofia remembered. After eating dessert, she excused herself to go to the ladies room. On her way back, as she walked past a few empty offices, a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.

"Finally, I thought you would never come rescue me" Sofia said, with a playful smile on her face.

"Not as easy here, especially with my father around. He said I'm not to associate with you. Enjoying the party so far?"

"Did he?" She said, faking surprise "Yes, it's been good seeing everyone after so long. How about you?"

"You know I never do. Not until we get to slip away anyways. So, I was wondering if you would like to visit a different place sometime this week, instead of the forest by your house."

"Oh, that sounds great but… my father told me earlier today we are going to France tomorrow, and won't be back until Christmas Eve on Friday."

Draco's face hardened, he had gotten used to the idea of seeing her every day and he was not pleased that she was leaving for the week.

"How come you rarely visited England when you moved to France, but now that you are back in England you are going to visit France?"

"I don't know. I asked my parents the same question several times before just giving up on it. They never really gave me an answer"

"Can we meet Friday night then?"

"Yes, I would like that. We should go now, before our parents get worried or suspicious."

As she turned to leave, she could tell he was a little upset. Quickly, before changing her mind, she walked back to him, kissed him on the cheek and walked back towards the door. Before leaving she glanced back and smiled at him.

"See you soon Draco" And she was gone.

Draco waited a few seconds before leaving himself. She had finally called him Draco… that, more than anything, told him that she was finally getting to forgive him.

* * *

France had been amazing, as always. Friday afternoon found her and her parents having a last minute coffee at an open air shop by the Eiffel Tower, their favorite spot in town.

Earlier on, as they visited a Wizarding community to the south of Paris, Sofia wondered around as her parents visited a bookstore. She had yet to buy Draco's Christmas present, and she was running out of time. She could not think of what to buy him, which was making her very frustrated. Store after store, and nothing. She walked into the last one, about to give up entirely, when she saw it.

Now, enjoying her last minutes in Paris, she was very pleased with herself and could not wait to see Draco that night. After arriving home, Sofia read Hermione's letter in response to hers about the party. Hermione was almost as excited as Sofia about her date with Draco that night. After a quick shower, she spent the rest of the night reading in her father's library.

At ten, she wished her parents good night and went to her bedroom. She packed Draco's present, changed into something warmer and waited for his owl. When it finally arrived, she apparated outside the magical protection of her house, where Draco was waiting.


	10. Is the most wonderful time of the year

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

* * *

Sofia approached Draco feeling slightly nervous. She did not regret kissing him on the cheek at the party, but now she wasn't sure of what to expect.

"So, how was France?"

"Wonderful! I had missed it so much! How was your week?"

"I have had better ones" He held out his hand "Ready to go?"

Sofia nodded "Yes. But, where are we going?"

"I am not telling you until we get there. However, I will tell you this; we are going much farther away than these woods".

He watched as Sofia looked over her shoulder, back at her house. For a moment, he feared she would not come with him, but when she turned back around to face him, she was smiling.

"Let's hope the spells I casted work, because if my parents find out I'm gone… let's just say I'll be in in big trouble." Her smile grew even wider "But hey, what's life without taking chances right?"

Draco exhaled in relief. "You won't regret it, trust me".

Taking hold of her hand, they spanned in place together and apparated away. A few seconds later they apparated between the trees of a small forest. Sofia could hear voices in the distance, and as she looked around she noticed different patches of light coming thru the treetops. She turned to face Draco with an inquiring look.

"Welcome to Lake District. The voices you hear are from Muggle campers, who are here waiting to see the same thing I brought you to see. C'mon."

Draco led the way out of the woods and into a meadow where several people were laying in blankets, staring at the sky. Some people had cameras, snapping at the sky and Sofia followed their gaze upwards. The sky was lit up by the lights of the aurora borealis.

"Something you said the other night reminded me of a conversation we had years ago, in which you said you would like to see the aurora borealis someday. So, I found out where and when we could come and see them".

Sofia turned her attention back to Draco, a smile playing on her face.

"Draco, this is incredible! Thank you!"

"I'm glad you like it. Let's find a good place and sit down".

They decided on a spot near the trees, and while Sofia fixed them a mug of hot chocolate, Draco casted the spells to keep them invisible and protected. Once comfortably seated, they stared at the sky in silent awe. Sofia had no idea how long they stayed like that and as the auroras started to fade, Draco cleared his throat.

"It is pass midnight Sofia, Happy Christmas"

"Happy Christmas Draco. Thank you for this amazing present; I have never seen anything like it." She reached for her bag "I've got you something too." She handed Draco his present and watched as he unwrapped it.

His relaxed expression hardened, but Sofia had expected as much. His parents, a handful of his family members and herself were the only few people that knew Draco played the piano. Because the origins of the piano and its players could not be precisely pinpointed, and because it was so famous amongst Muggles, the Malfoy's kept it a secret that their son was so talented. It took Draco over a year to trust Sofia enough to tell her, and once he did, it took Sofia weeks to get him to play for her. He had only played songs written by Wizards, but Sofia had requested one of her favorite piano songs ever, Canon in D, by Johann Pachelbel. That was the first and only time he ever played a Muggle song.

"I was walking around a wizarding community earlier on, when I walked into a music store and saw this book. I know how you feel about Muggles, but I wanted you to have it."

The book was a collection of the top 150 piano songs from famous Muggle and Wizard pianists. In Sofia's mind, it was a must have for piano players. Draco's silence however, was beginning to worry her.

"I can take it back if you didn't like it"

"No, I did. It's just that… well… I haven't played since the day I last saw you."

Silence followed. Sofia stared at Draco, who was still holding the book and facing down. When he finally looked up at her, Sofia could see that his troubled expression, the one she had learned to associate with the bad times between them, was back.

"Pick one" Draco said, handing the book back to Sofia. "Pick a song, and I'll learn to play it for you."

"Draco, you don't have to… I didn't know."

"You had no way of knowing, and it's about time I start playing again. Mother will like that, she complained for weeks when I decided to stop."

"What did you tell your parents when you stopped?"

"I blamed it on the teenager phase" he said, his expression softening "I basically told them it was not the cool thing to do. Father seemed to understand better than mother, but he never really liked me playing. He probably won't be very happy once I start again."

That thought seemed to amuse him, and Sofia could swear she saw the corners of his mouth lift, ever so slightly.

"I cannot possibly choose just one song, so let's try this." Sofia held the book closed on her lap, closed her eyes and randomly opened a page. "Here" she said, handing him the book, eyes still closed. "Don't tell me which one it is. Surprise me".

Draco grabbed the book from Sofia and looked down at the page. It was a Muggle song he had never played before, but he was certain it wouldn't take him very long to learn it.

"I can do that" he finally said. Then he put the book down and reached for his book bag "Now, it's time for your present"

"Blimey! I thought this was my present" she said, pointing at the sky.

"That was _one_ of them. Here is the second". He handed Sofia a black, rectangular book, no taller than fifty inches.

"That is not fair you know? I only got you a book" She said as she opened the box. As she pulled out her present, excitement filled her.

"You know as well as I do black roses do not exist naturally" Draco said, as he watched her "Well, now they do. I created the small plant in that vase. The flowers will bloom and die, like any other plant, but it will not grow any bigger unless you magically grow them. They require small amounts of sun light and water, but it will bloom the fullest if exposed to the moonlight. It likes it."

"Draco, I don't even know what to say. They are so beautiful, I love them."

"I am glad you liked it, which I knew you would. Malfoy's are never wrong" His smirk was back, but Sofia no longer felt like punching him. Instead, she laughed.

"Good to know Draco Malfoy's still in there. You had me scared for a moment, thinking you had gone soft." The look on Draco's face made Sofia laugh even harder. "It's ok; your secret is safe with me."

She winked at him and he smiled a little.

"I'm going to make you pay for this remark, Miss Smith"

"I'm sure you will, but can it wait till another day? We probably should get going" She said, still laughing.

They packed their belongings and apparated together back to the forest by Sofia's house.

The first thing Sofia noticed after they apparated was that Draco did not let go of her hand. The second thing she noticed was that snow was falling around them, and before long, both her and Draco had white spots on their hairs and clothes.

Before she had the time do to or say anything however, he pulled her closer to him. With their faces inches apart, they stared into each other's eyes for a brief second, before Draco pulled her in for a kiss.

As their lips met, it no longer matter that it was late, that they were both out without permission, that their families hated each other, that it was snowing hard, that he had broken her hear before… all that mattered was here and now, was Draco holding her, his lips against hers. Her stomach was upside down and she had to remind herself to keep breathing. Much too soon, he pulled away from her and without a word, he kissed her on her forehead and apparated away.

A few minutes later, laying in bed, Sofia kept going over and over what had just taken place. Her and Draco had been friends for so long, she never saw him as anything else. Distance and time however, had worked to change things between them. _I am in so much trouble s_he thought, wishing Hermione was around.

* * *

Miles away, Draco was also going over tonight's events in his mind. He was very pleased with how things went, but he still could not believe he had kissed Sofia. He would never admit to it, but he had wanted to kiss her for a while now. It had been a spontaneous kiss however. As the realization of how things were changing between them started to sink in, he shrouded thinking about how badly things could go.

He pushed those thoughts away. _One day at a time Draco, one day at a time…_


	11. Something wicked this way comes

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

* * *

The following morning, Sofia, her parents and Mia opened their Christmas presents by the Christmas tree and ate breakfast together. Afterwards, Sofia went back to her room and wrote Hermione an extensive letter. She had just released her father's owl out of the window when he came in.

"Ready Sofia?"

"Yes, sir"

"Everything ok sweetie? You seem a little off" He said, watching his daughter attentively.

"Yes father, everything is fine." Sofia smiled reassuringly at Caleb. He didn't seem entirely convinced, but Sofia was relieved when he changed the subject.

"All right then. Come, your mother awaits downstairs"

They made their way down to meet Olivia, and together apparated to Olivia's parents'. Every Christmas, the Smith's would open the presents in the morning, would eat lunch with Olivia's family and dinner with Caleb's. This had been their tradition for as long as Sofia could remember. She always enjoyed seeing her family, but she was especially grateful for the distraction they provided today.

Later on, when they finally arrive back home, Mia was waiting for them. She handed Sofia a letter, and proceeded to take their coats away. Seeing the letter was from Hermione, Sofia excused herself and went to her room.

It was hard to tell how Hermione felt about last night's events, as she alternated between telling Sofia how excited she was, while pointing out all the reasons why the whole thing was a bad, bad idea. Sofia couldn't help but laugh at some of her friend's comments. At the end of her letter, Hermione invited Sofia to come visit her in London on Monday and to stay at her house for the night.

Sofia ran downstairs to ask her parents if it was ok for her to go. They seemed pleased with the idea, and suggested that the Granger's came home with her on Tuesday for dinner. Sofia thanked them, whished them good night and went back to her room. She wrote Hermione a reply and once her dad's owl was gone, went to bed.

* * *

The next morning, after a warm shower, Sofia headed downstairs for breakfast. She hadn't heard from Draco and, since he had asked her not to contact him at the Malfoy Manor, all she could do was wait. She wasn't very hungry, but she forced herself to eat some.

"Sofia, is everything ok?" Her mother was sitting across from her at the kitchen table. "You have been sitting there, playing with your food for a while now"

"Oh, I didn't notice. Yes, I'm fine mum" She had been thinking about Malfoy and their kiss, yet again. Hoping to change the subject, she asked "Where is dad?"

"He received an urgent owl from the Ministry this morning and went to meet with the Minister"

"Why didn't you go as well?"

"I'm about to leave, just came here to tell you bye. I don't know when we will be back, but you can send us an owl if you need us"

"Thanks, but I'll be fine. Can you tell me what's going on? Is everything ok?" She watched as her mother seemed to carefully choose her words.

"You remember the main reason we came back right? Now that the Minister has seen Voldemort and everyone knows he is back, they needed me and your father to assist with the efforts to keep the magical community safe." Sofia shook her head positively "Well, now that Voldemort no longer has the advantage of people doubting he is back, his Death Eaters are growing more confident, and attacking more often. We have to go help some of the aurors with a particular case"

Sofia pushed her food away, suddenly feeling sick. Noticing her daughter's expression, Olivia went on.

"We are going to be fine Sofia. Neither I nor your father will be in the line of danger like the aurors. Our job won't be quite as risky as theirs."

"You can't promise me that. You have no way of knowing… just be careful mum… you and dad. _Please_."

And without waiting for her mother's response, Sofia left the kitchen.

Once back in her room, she paced back and forth, unable to do anything else. The day went by painfully slow, as Sofia waited. She waited for her parents to come back, and she waited for a sign of Draco. Finally, a little after five, she heard voices coming from downstairs. She raced down to find her parents, safe and sound, talking to Mia. Sofia gave her parents a tight hug, grateful they were ok.

* * *

Dinner was served at her father's office. Sofia wanted to question them about what had happened today, but she knew they weren't allowed to discuss it with her.

"Sofia, we need to talk" Her father's expression was grave. "I can't get into details, but I need you to listen very carefully. I know Dumbledore trusts Snape and the younger Malfoy, and I know Professors McGonagall and Flitwick will also attend the competition next month, but I need you to promise me you will be extra careful around them. The only reason why I am still letting you train with Snape and Malfoy, and attend the competition, is because Dumbledore himself has convinced me to do so. Things are getting worse out there, and Draco is the son of a Death Eater, which makes me and your mother very uncomfortable. Promise me you will be careful around them, and that you will approach us, or Dumbledore if you see or hear anything suspicious." Caleb's eyes bore into Sofia's with a fiery intensity. Sofia was doing her best to keep her face neutral under his gaze.

"Dumbledore is right dad, I'll be fine. Besides, you had me attend countless Ministry of Magic Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, both here and in France. I can take care of myself."

She smiled, trying to alleviate some of the tension.

"I am serious Sofia. Voldemort is back, things are no longer what they used to be. I am not even comfortable to have you walking around London with Hermione tomorrow anymore"

"So, you are saying I can't go tomorrow?"

"I think it would be best if you didn't"

"What? Dad! We will be fine, we are not helpless! And I am not going to have you keep me home because you are scared"

"Don't talk to me like that Sofia. I'm your father and I'll do whatever it takes to ensure your safety, whether you like it or not"

"Fine!" Sofia said, getting up.

Both her face and Caleb's were red with anger. She stormed out of the room, leaving her unfinished dinner behind.

She closed the door behind her with a bang. She searched her desk for a piece of parchment, and was about to write Hermione, canceling their plans when she heard a noise coming from her bed. Turning around, she saw Malfoy's black owl, with a letter attached to its leg, waiting for her.

She approached the owl and took the letter from it. Offering her arm, she waited for the owl to land on it and walked towards the window. She ran her hand over the owls head, watching as it seemed to enjoy it. They remained like that for a while, as Sofia stared out of her window, trying to calm herself down. Someone knocked on her door, causing Sofia to jump and the owl to startle and to fly from her arm and out of the window.

"Sofia, may I come in?" It was her mother's voice coming from outside.

"Yes" Sofia heard her mother come in and sit on her bed. She continued to stare out of the window, holding Draco's letter.

"You and your father, such tempers. Sometimes I wonder if you two could be any more alike… Anyway, I brought you a plate, you need to fish dinner. I know you didn't eat breakfast and Mia said you skipped lunch as well"

"Thanks, but I am not hungry"

"Eat it anyways. I won't leave until you do"

Sighing heavily, Sofia walked towards her mother and took the plate from her. Sitting down at her writing desk, she placed Draco's letter on the top drawer and proceeded to eat.

"I have spoken to your father, and he has agreed to let you go tomorrow. He is not happy about it, but you won't need to cancel your plans"

"Oh, ok… Thanks mum… so… what's the deal with Malfoy and Snape?" From the corner of her eyes, she could see as her mother's posture stiffened.

"I can't go into any details. It suffices to know whose Draco's family is. As for Snape, Dumbledore trusts him, but your father has his doubts. We just want you to be extra careful, that's all"

"Do Malfoy and Snape have anything to do with your urgent mission from earlier today?"

"I can't discuss this with you Sofia."

Sofia didn't need her to, she knew her mother well enough to tell her suspicions were valid.

"Fine. I'm done eating now. Thanks for bringing me a plate"

She handed her mother the plate, and headed to her bathroom. She waited until she heard her bedroom door close, before coming out again. Retrieving the letter from the top drawer, she sat down to read it.

* * *

At exactly ten thirty, Sofia apparated by Draco. They were once again in the Forrest near her house and Draco was casually leaning against the trunk of a tree. The light of his spell illuminated their surroundings, and Sofia could see a hint of concern behind the walls in his eyes.

"On your letter, you said you needed to make sure I was ok. What's that about?"

"Father overheard Mr. Smith arguing with one of the aurors in the Ministry earlier on. Something about the security of the tournament next month and how he was worried about your safety".

He walked towards her as he spoke, desperately wanting to be near her, to feel her touch again.

"Oh great! I don't understand why he is so worried" She said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, you remember what happened at Hogwarts during the Triwizard tournament, right?" He asked, sarcasm in his voice.

"Yes, but that was different" She snapped back at him "And it isn't just about the tournament"

Sofia recounted her discussion with her father during dinner and her suspicions about their mission.

"It makes perfect sense he suspects me and Snape. He would be silly not to"

His expression grew darker, and for the first time around him, Sofia was slightly scared. Draco seemed to notice, because he went on.

"I am not going to hurt you or your family. But my father is a Death Eater, and so is Snape. Just because I care about you doesn't mean I am not dangerous and Snape certainly is. I don't mean to scare you, but you are right to suspect your parent's mission has something to do with Snape. I don't know the details, but it seems Voldemort has Snape working on something, with the assistance of my father, aunt and a few other Death Eaters…" He said, his grey eyes locked on hers.

Sofia let out a deep breath she was unaware she had been holding. As much as she had enjoyed Draco saying he cared about her, the disturbing news about Snape and his mission had her head spinning.

"It seems things are getting worse. I can only imagine what would happen if anyone found out about us. This is too risky Draco"

She knew if the other side found out about her, she would be in big trouble, but she couldn't bring herself to worry about her own safety. She worried about Draco and what would happen to _him_ if anyone found out about them.

"We have been thru this before Sofia" He kept his walls up, not wanting her to see how afraid he was of losing her.

"Yeah… I know… but things weren't so complicated before. Voldemort was gone; it's different now that he is back" Her flat tone of voice and tiredness was hard to watch. Draco wanted nothing more than to comfort her.

"How many times do I need to tell you that I won't let _anyone_ hurt you? I am not giving up on you because things are getting worse"

He wrapped his arms around her, and she welcomed his touch. She leaned her head on his shoulder, feeling safe and happy for the first time that day. The minutes passed, and yet they didn't move. Both of them knew that this time the stakes were much higher and they feared for each other more than they did for themselves. Draco knew he could keep her safe at Hogwarts and that her dad would see to it when she was around him, but he didn't like the idea of her being away from either of them. Looking down at her, resting so peacefully in his shoulder, he vowed to keep her safe, no matter the cost.

"And I must say that I agree with your father" He said, finally breaking the silence. "You and the mud-b… Granger, should not be wondering around London alone"

"Don't you dare Draco Lucius Malfoy!" She said, pulling away from him and crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Go ahead and get mad at me as well, it won't change my opinion" His expression was serious, but he seemed amused at her reaction "Father won't tell me about the Dark Lords plans, but I can assure you London is no longer a safe place. To Muggles and wizards alike."

Sofia felt a chill go down her body at his last words, but she continued as if nothing had happened.

"I'm going tomorrow Malfoy. If you are so worried about my safety, you are welcome to join us"

"As much fun as I am sure we would all have together, I decline the invitation" he said, a smirk playing on his face. "Besides, I don't think Granger would agree to it"

"She probably wouldn't like it, but she would be fine. She _knows_" Sofia said, avoiding his eyes. When she finally looked at him, she watched as Draco's eyes widened, and anger took over his face.

"You told the mud-blood about us?"

"Don't call her that Malfoy. You know how much I hate that stupid word and it's just disrespectful"

He took a few sharp breaths, collecting himself.

"You told _Granger _about us?"

"Yes, she kind of saw us together the day we went to the Forbidden Forest"

"That's not possible, I casted charms on us"

"We no longer had the charms when we left the room by the Great Hall. She was going on her rounds when she saw you leave, and then me. She questioned me about it, and I told her the truth"

It wasn't exactly true, but Sofia couldn't tell Draco about Harry's map. He seemed to doubt her for a moment. He took a deep breath before speaking again.

"And she is fine with everything?"

"Yes" Sofia said, looking relieved "I told her the basics, just so you know. Never told her any of your secrets" He seemed to relax a little.

"I can't believe it. Of all people… Granger… Are you sure we can trust her? Don't you think she is going to tell Potty and the Weasel?"

"Yes, I am sure" Sofia said, ignoring Draco's nicknames for Harry and Ron "She hasn't told them and she won't unless I tell her she can. She is my friend too you know"

"I don't like it."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you this before and I am sorry you don't like it"

"Does she know about Christmas?"

Draco's question caught her off guard. Sofia turned slightly red, and shook her head affirmatively as a response, refusing to meet his eyes and staring down at a root near her left foot that was suddenly fascinating.

"It has been easier on me ever since she found out about it though. It's good to have a friend to confide in"

Draco had never felt the need to confide in anyone until the day he met Sofia. She was the only person he could be himself with and sometimes he forgot it didn't work that way with her. He was not pleased a Muggle-born of all people knew about him and Sofia, but if it made her happy he would deal with it.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized Sofia was not so different from other girls when it came to certain things. She needed the comfort of a (girl) best friend, although it still puzzled him why girls were like that at all.

"Girls!" He said, mainly to himself, rolling his eyes.

"Oh shush!" Sofia said, playfully hitting him in the arm.

He looked down at the spot where she had hit him. When he looked back at her, the left corner of his mouth was slightly raised, in an amused smile.

"You shouldn't have done that _Ms. Smith_" His face was serious, but his tone was also playful "First your unfortunate comment back in Lake District and now you have been bold enough to hit me. I must make you pay"

If Sofia didn't know him as well as she did, to recognize he was just joking, the look on his face would have terrified her. Now, it was all she could do not to laugh at him.

"I would run if I were you. You won't like the consequences if you stay."

"You don't scare me, _Mr. Malfoy_"

"Oh really?" He said, taking one step forward, as if ready to chase her.

Sofia took a step back, then turned and ran, her laughter echoing around the forest. Draco gave her a head start before quickly closing the distance between them. He grabbed her from behind, drawing her near to him. Slowly, Sofia turned around to face him, his arms still wrapped around her.

"Well, you caught me. Now what?"

"Now," he said, taking a few steps backwards until Sofia's back was pressed against a tree trunk "we can pick up where we left on Christmas night" and with that, he pressed his lips against hers.

This time however, it wasn't calm and gentle. It was urgent, passionate, and intense. Within seconds, Sofia was lost in his embrace.

* * *

It was past midnight when Sofia apparated back in her room. She could not believe she had spent the last hour kissing Draco Malfoy, or talking about non important things, while wrapped in his arms. She also could not believe the emotional roller coaster she had experienced today.

With thoughts of Draco playing on her mind, and trying hard to keep dark thoughts away, she finally fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	12. London

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

* * *

Sofia woke up early the next morning, even though she hadn't slept but a few hours. She showered, dressed, packed an overnight bag and went downstairs to eat some breakfast. To her surprise, Caleb was already there drinking his morning coffee and reading the Daily Prophet. She had hoped to avoid him for a while.

"Morning" he said, from behind the paper.

"Morning" she said, a little too dry. With a heavy sigh, Caleb folded the newspaper and looked at his daughter.

"How long are you planning on being mad at me?" Sofia suppressed a smile.

Every time they fought, it was always the same. The one whom made the other mad would pose the question, the other would reply something in the lines of "I don't know" and before long everything would be fine. This time Sofia just shrugged. Caleb rolled his eyes and went back to reading his paper as Olivia came in and surveyed the scene.

"Honestly, both of you. Enough is enough" Both Sofia and Caleb adopted the same innocent expression. "You two will be the reason for all my white hairs" Olivia said, exasperated. "Caleb, you can take her to the Granger's. I am going over to my mother's. Have fun sweetie and we will see you tomorrow"

She kissed Sofia on the head and left.

Sofia and Caleb finished eating breakfast shortly after and she went to brush her teeth and grab her bag. Caleb was already waiting for her in the lobby when she headed down stairs. Since they were going to downtown London, Caleb decided to drive, instead of apparate as it would give him time to talk with his daughter. Their house was in the outskirts of London, and it would take them a good half of an hour to reach the Granger's. More if traffic was bad, which considering it was a Monday morning, it probably would be. They rode in silence for the first few minutes, both waiting to see who would give in first. Caleb finally did.

"Can I at least ask where in London are you girls going to?"

"That depends, are you going to have someone follow us?"

"No Sofia, I just want to know"

"I honestly don't know dad. We never did decide on it, but nowhere dangerous. I promise we will be careful"

"I know you will. It is not that I don't trust you girls… I am a father, worrying is part of our nature"

He smiled at his daughter and she smiled back, knowing they were fine now. They arrived at the Granger's at ten. Sofia kissed her dad on the cheek before grabbing her bag and exiting the car. She rang the doorbell and Hermione opened the door soon after. Both girls waved at Mr. Smith and he waited until they had gone in before driving away. Hermione's parents were gone to work, so the girls had the house to themselves. After showing Sofia around the house, both girls headed upstairs to Hermione's room. Sofia had barely closed the door behind her when Hermione let out a squeak.

"Hermione" Sofia said, laughing at her friend

"So, anything else happen since your last letter?"

"Maybe…" she said, enjoying the effect it had on her friend. "Before I get to him though, I need to tell you what happen at dinner" Sofia recounted the events of the day before.

"I hate to say this, but Malfoy is right. It makes perfect sense your dad suspects him and professor Snape, although I doubt either one of them would hurt you at Hogwarts or even at the tournament.

"Exactly, I will be fine"

"You know Sofia, Malfoy shouldn't be so upset that I know. I can come in handy" She said, with a mischievous smile.

"You seem to be enjoying this a whole lot more now. What changed your mind?"

"Christmas. If he was just playing you, I don't think he would have done all that. Even for a Malfoy, that was a little bit too much"

Sofia laughed "I guess you are right, he got a little carried away. I am not complaining though, it was very sweet of him"

"Yes, it was. So, are you ready to go? I have been thinking and I know of a bookstore not far from here I must take you to."

"That would be great. I am running out of books to read" The girls went down stairs and left.

They took their time walking to the bookstore, stopping at several little stores on the way. As they walked by Café Queens, two blocks down from the bookstore Hermione suggested they stopped there for lunch and Sofia agreed. After eating, the girls made their way to Daunt books, where they spent the rest of the afternoon. As they waited in line to pay, Hermione caught a glimpse of a familiar blond hair.

"_No, it can't be… he wouldn't be in a Muggle store…" _

"Hermione, it's your turn. She's waiting for you to pay" Sofia said, nudging her friend forward.

"Oh, I'm sorry" Hermione said, looking down at her purse for her wallet.

After both girls had paid, they left the store. Hermione looked back inside before closing the door and her heart stopped as she saw Draco Malfoy staring right at her. He nodded in acknowledgment and Hermione couldn't help but smile. She nodded back at him and closed the door.

"What had you so distracted back there Mione?"

"Oh nothing… I thought I had recognized someone but I must have imagined it"

"Really? Who?"

"No one important, lets hurry or we will be late for dinner"

They made it back to Hermione's house just in time. Sofia sent her dad's owl (which she had borrowed from her dad) to her parents to let them know she was back safely before washing her hands and sitting down to eat.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger were wonderful people and made her feel at home. After dinner as Mr. Granger watched the news, Mrs. Granger and the girls were having a cup of tea in Hermione's room while the girls showed Mrs. Granger all the books they had bought. As the girls were getting ready for bed, Caleb's owl flew in. His note was brief, just to let Sofia know he had received her letter, was glad she was safe and to wish her goodnight.

"I wish I could send an owl to Draco as well, to let him know we made it back safely" Sofia said. Hermione nodded, whishing she could tell Sofia he knew she was perfectly fine.

* * *

The next morning, the girls slept in. After showering and eating a late breakfast, they sat down to read over their notes. They were fifteen days away from the competition and both girls felt like they needed to review, as they hadn't study at all since leaving Hogwarts for the Holidays. Sofia had been shocked Hermione hadn't studied, but she had simply shrugged and told Sofia she had been too busy while visiting the Weasley's.

"I should have studied _every day_! We only have three more training sessions before we leave! That is not enough time!" Hermione's high pitched voice was growing louder and louder.

"Hermione, please relax. You are the number one student at Hogwarts, you will be fine"

"But what if I forget something? What if we don't win because of me? What if…"

Sofia rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her notes. It had been Hermione's idea for them to quiz each other and she had been growing desperate ever since she got one question wrong, even though she had gotten every other one right. Sofia had missed a question as well, but she wasn't worried about it. She was confident that the next three sessions of review would be enough to ensure she was ready to compete.

"… and McGonagall will be there! Oh, she will be so disappointed"

"HERMIONE!" She watched as her friend stop speaking midsentence and looked at her. "You are the brightest witch I know. Stop worrying so much! I'm starting to agree with Harry and Ron, you need to learn how to relax"

"I do know how to relax" She protested.

"Doesn't seem like it. Now, if you are ready, let's finish with the questions I need to ask you"

They worked thru lunch, stopping only midafternoon for a cup of tea. To Hermione's delight, and Sofia's relief, Hermione did not miss a single question.

When Hermione's parents arrived, they quickly changed out of their work clothes and met with the girls in the living room. The drive to Sofia's house was very pleasant, as they talked about non important things.

After arriving home and walking the Grangers to meet her parents at her dad's office, Hermione followed Sofia back to her room. As soon as she walked in, she noticed a letter from Draco on her bed. She opened it with pure excitement, but it quickly faded as she read it. Once she was done reading, she put the letter on her desk's trop drawer with the other ones.

"What's wrong Sofia?"

"He wanted to let me know he won't be able to come over for the rest of the week. He said he will contact me once we get to Hogwarts. I just hope he is ok"

"Yeah, me too" Sofia looked at Hermione, one eyebrow raised.

Hermione simply shrugged.

* * *

The remainder of the week went by painfully slow for Sofia. Her parents were at work for several hours each day and she stayed behind at the house with Mia. She spent the majority of her time studying or reading, but even those things grew boring.

When Friday finally arrived, Sofia and Mia spent most of the day collecting her school items and clothing, and packing her trunk. When her parents came home, they ate dinner together and spent the rest of the night at Caleb's office.

Before going to bed, she decided to pack the flowers Malfoy gave her. As she watched them on her window, under the full moon, she instantly felt better. Draco was right; they did seem to enjoy the night and Sofia could swear they were an even darker shade of black. Both her parents had questioned her about the flowers, but all she would say was that they were a present from a good friend.

She missed Draco, more than she cared to admit. She hated how they had to hide from everyone and how she wasn't even sure of what they were. Could she call Draco her boyfriend? How would they continue to date in secrecy? What will happen when Harry eventually faces Voldemort? Would Draco leave her for the dark side once more?

Struggling to find the answers to those and many other unanswerable questions, an exhausted Sofia finally fell asleep.


	13. The Hogwarts Express

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

* * *

Saturday morning arrived too fast for Sofia's liking. She hadn't been able to fall asleep till after four and she wanted nothing more than to sleep in, but Mia had come to wake her up at eight sharp. Barely awake, she made her way to her bathroom for a shower. The hot water on her back was very relaxing and by the time she got dressed she was feeling a lot better.

She headed down for breakfast with her parents and as she ate, she finally remembered she would be seeing Draco soon. At the thought of him, she unconsciously smiled.

"Would you like to share what has you smiling so big Sofia?" Olivia asked, watching her daughter's dreaming stare and silly smile.

"What?" Sofia said, not having heard a word her mom had just said.

"I just asked why are you smiling like that?"

"Oh… it's nothing really… just ready to go back to Hogwarts and see all my friends"

"Oh I see. Tired of me and your mother already, huh?" Caleb asked with a sad voice and pretending to have been hurt by Sofia's words.

"Of course not, I would never get tired of mum. You on the other hand…"

She laughed as Caleb looked at her in disbelief and she laughed even harder when he threw a grape at her, hitting her head. She was going to miss being around them, but she was ready to go back to school and she was specially looking forward to the competition in a few days. Four of her best friends from Beauxbatons would be there as well and she couldn't wait to see them.

* * *

Sofia and her parents left the house at ten and made it to Platform 9 ¾ forty five minutes later. They quickly found the Weasley's and Granger's and made their way towards them. As they walked, Sofia looked around searching for a sign of Draco, but she found none. She had just greeted everybody and was about to ask Harry a question when her dad grabbed hold of her hand and took her further down the Platform, away from everyone.

As they stood facing each other, Sofia waited patiently for her dad to say something. He seemed to be looking for the right words, and when he finally spoke, his voice was full of emotion.

"Sofia, I just want you to know that I… we, me and your mother… well, we are so very proud of you sweetheart"

Of all things she had expected him to say, that wasn't one of them. It was so random she waited for him to continue, hoping he would make more sense.

"Look sweetheart, I know I can be over protective sometimes. And I know I haven't been easy on you, especially since finding out about you taking private lessons from Snape and with the Malfoy kid. I just want you to know that, regardless of it all, we are very proud of you."

"Thanks dad" She said, feeling incredibly grateful for having such wonderful parents that loved her so much.

"Just promise me you will be careful, ok?"

"Always" She said, smiling at her dad.

He smiled back and pulled her in for a hug. No matter what she said and thought, Sofia would always be his little girl and he would do everything in his power to ensure she was safe, healthy and happy.

As the whistle rang from the train, signalizing it was time to leave, Sofia and Caleb made their way back to everyone. Sofia hugged her parents, said goodbye to everyone and made her way inside the train with Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Neville. Lavender Brown, Ron's girlfriend, had dragged him to another cabin.

The group spent most of the trip catching up on what each had done over the holidays. Halfway thru the day Luna joined them, bringing copies of the Quibbler. Sofia, Luna and Ginny spent over an hour talking about the articles in the magazine, and Sofia couldn't help but admire how Luna didn't seem to care about what people said or thought of her eccentric views.

* * *

Draco sat by the window, looking out at the ever changing scenery. He wanted nothing more than to find Sofia and spend some time with her, but that would have to wait until later.

He hoped she wasn't upset with him for being gone the past few days. He had wanted to explain why he couldn't come to see her, but he didn't want to risk anyone intercepting the letter.

Things had been bad at the Malfoy Manor the past few days. Voldemort himself was currently staying at the Manor, much to Draco's dislike. Voldemort treated him and his parents, especially his father, as if they were nothing. He never missed a chance to humiliate Lucius and remind him of how he had failed to obtain the prophecy from the Ministry. Draco avoided him as much as possible by staying in his room, but more frequently than not, Voldemort had requested that Draco joined in when he addressed the Death Eaters.

Draco knew Voldemort was studying him and he did his best to shield his mind, as well as pretend to be honored by his presence. The truth however, was that he was sick and tired of the situation. He no longer believed in Voldemort and his plans and definitely no longer wished to become a Death Eater. How he was going to stay away from them was a problem, but thankfully he would not have to deal with it anytime soon, as he was heading back to Hogwarts.

Sofia had been right. Things were a lot more dangerous now that Voldemort was back. Draco knew he would have to play his cards very carefully from now on, or things could get very bad.

From the corner of his eyes, he watched as his Slytherin colleagues carried conversations with each other, entirely at ease. None of them were going through something as bad as he was, and part of him envied their care free lives. He would have been just like them if it hadn't been for Sofia. If she had stayed away, he wouldn't be a complete different person now. A small part of his old self resented her, but he did his best to ignore it.

He knew he hadn't changed because of Sofia. She had simply brought out in him what had always been there, buried under dark thoughts and feelings nurtured by his parents, especially his father. Everything good about Draco came from his mother and Lucius had all but destroyed them until the day he met Sofia.

They were too young by the age of five to truly understand the animosity between their parents, but even so, all other kids knew better than to mess with him. During the countless Ministry parties or events held at the Manor, the other kids would either stay away from him or follow him around, obeying his every command.

Sofia had been different. She neither feared nor followed him, she was downright indifferent. Her indifference made him mad and one day he had confronted her about it. When he did, she immediately proceeded to tell him that she had no reason to fear him, as she could see right through him and that she wasn't about to follow him around because she actually had a mind of her own and needed nobody to tell her what to do. He had laughed at her, but she continued talking and what she said next made all the difference in the world.

She mentioned things about him he had never said to anyone, but that she claimed to have noticed as she had observed him. When she was finished, he stormed away. He was in a sour mood for days, denying her words and trying to convince himself he had hidden his true self from everyone, but deep inside he knew she had seen right through him, exactly like she said she had.

When they next saw each other, she had beckoned him away from everyone. He reluctantly went her way and she had asked if he was ok, since she knew her words had upset him. He had been hesitant to let his walls down around her for a while, but before long they became friends.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't noticed the train had arrived at Hogsmeade until Blaise had punched him in the shoulder as everyone started to get up and gather their belongings in preparation to leave the train. As he followed Blaise to one of the carriages waiting to take the students back to Hogwarts, he saw Sofia entering one with Hermione, the Weasley girl and Loony Lovegood. The sight of her was exactly what he needed to sooth his worries.

As all students placed their belongings by the stairs that lead to the castle, Draco let his owl out of his cage and gave him the letter he had written to Sofia earlier that day. He had addressed it to her room once again, so that it would be a surprise when she arrived there later.

Knowing they would be together soon, he made his way to dinner with Blaise, feeling at ease for the first time in days.


	14. Every rose has its thorns

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

* * *

"Draco, wait! Draco, hold on I need to talk to you… Draco!"

Malfoy was doing his best to ignore the girl who had followed him out of the Slytherin common room. She had been calling for him ever since he made his way towards the door, and she had followed him all the way to the entrance hall.

"What?" He finally snapped.

Pansy stopped a few feet from him, trying to catch her breath.

"We need to talk, something is off with you"

"Just leave me alone"

He turned to leave but she stepped in front of him, blocking his way. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and studied him before continuing.

"What is going on with you Draco? You have not been yourself lately"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

He knew exactly what she was talking about, but he kept his defenses up and stared down at her with a venomous gaze. She seemed to hesitate for a brief moment, before collecting herself.

"Look, I am just worried about you all right? You have been distracted lately and haven't been acting like yourself. Blaise and I barely see you anymore and although the Dark Lord has been staying at your house, you haven't said a word about"

"What difference does it make whether I say something about it or not?"

"You never miss an opportunity to make sure everyone knows when something important happens to you, or your family. Is like you no longer care"

"Or maybe, is just that I have outgrown you"

Pansy took a step back, as if his words had hurt her.

"Go back to the common room Pansy, I have prefect duties and you are not part of them"

"Draco, let me help you. Let's just get back together and everything will go back to normal"

Draco laughed a venomous laugh that caused Pansy to take even more steps away from him.

"Do you really think I need you for anything? Well, let me make something very clear. You and I are over and I don't need you, or anyone else, to help me. Now, go back to the common room before I make you"

He watched as she walked away, visibly upset. He waited a few more minutes before turning around and making his way to the empty room where he and Sofia would be meeting soon.

* * *

Sofia waited until she could no longer hear Draco's steps before continuing her way down the stairs. She had been on her way down, under the Disillusionment charm, when she had seen Draco and Pansy come from the dungeons. She froze in place, not sure what to do. She watched Draco as they argued and she wondered if Pansy had any idea of how mad he was and, most importantly, how dangerous it made him.

As she made it to the door of the room Draco was waiting for her, she undid the Disillusionment charm, took a deep breath and walked in. Draco was sitting on a chair with his back towards the door. He turned around when he heard her come in and his expression instantly relaxed.

"Are you ready? I need to get away from this place" He said, getting up and making his way towards her.

She nodded affirmatively and waited as he placed the usual spells on them. They walked in silence, Draco thinking about what Pansy had said and Sofia wondering how best to approach what she had just seen. Once in the meadow, Sofia conjurated them both a mug of hot chocolate and they sat down to drink it.

"Did you enjoy your time in London with Granger?"

"Yes, it was fun. And nothing happened, just like I said it wouldn't"

"I never said something would happen. I said something _could_ happen"

"I know. You and father just worry too much"

"Is that a bad thing?"

"It can be"

"Umm…"

He stood up, leaving his half empty mug on the ground and offered his hand to Sofia.

"Would you care to ice skate with me? It has been a while since we had the chance to"

Draco conjurated their skates and sat with Sofia at the edge of the lake to put them on. Once ready he helped Sofia onto the lake. He skated next to her until he was satisfied she would not fall, and then skated ahead of her.

Sofia watched Draco skate, trying to find the right words. There was no easy way to approach the subject, but it had to be done. She waited for him to say something, but after a while it became clear he wouldn't.

"Draco…"

He turned his head, ever so slightly her way but continued to skate. Bracing herself, she continued.

"I… I was on my way down to meet you when I ran into you and Pansy. I heard your discussion with her"

She watched as his body stiffened. He turned around to face her, both of them no longer skating.

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have eavesdropped on you but I couldn't get myself to turn away"

"You should have left"

"I know"

"What did you hear?"

"All of it, I think. Is it true? About Voldemort staying at the Manor?"

"Yes" He began to skate around Sofia, his eyes lost in the distance

"Is that why you didn't come to see me last week?"

"Yes"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"There is nothing to talk about"

"Draco, Voldemort was at your house. I am sure there is plenty to talk about. You can trust me, remember?"

"I know I can trust you, but I don't want to talk about it.

"Why not?"

"Because" he said, stopping right in front of her, anger in his eyes "You have done enough"

"What is that supposed to mean, Malfoy?"

"If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be in this situation. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have to even think about whether or not to become a Death Eater. Ever since you came back, I find myself struggling, fighting between you and my family"

"How dare you? Have you forgotten that it was _you_ who came to me and asked for a second chance? You were the one that wanted to give it another try. Don't you dare blame it on me"

"Do you have any idea of how bloody frustrating and hard it is? To go against all I have been taught, to live in a house with the Dark Lord, having to pretend I still wish to follow him when that is no longer true?"

"No, I don't. But I have heard enough from you about it. You knew the stakes from the beginning"

"Maybe I didn't fully comprehended it"

"That is not my fault"

"No… but sometimes I wish you had stayed at Beauxbatons… part of me resents you and wants you gone"

"Well then, let me make things easier on you"

She turned around and skated back to the shore as fast as she could. As she sat down to take off her skates and put her boots back on, Draco approached her.

"You don't have to leave"

"I disagree"

"Sofia, don't! I am just tired and frustrated; I didn't mean it like that"

"Of course you didn't" She said with sarcasm.

He tried to grab her hand but she took a step away from him, shaking her head.

"Don't! I think we should stay away from each other for a while. We will practice together this week, but other than that, stay away from me"

"What? Sofia, no!"

"Stop it Draco. You need some time to sort things out… and so do I. Meet me at the top of the astronomy tower, a week from today and we will talk. Be ready to make a final decision then, and make sure whatever you decide is what you truly want. I won't give you any more chances Draco, I can't let you keep on hurting me like this"

Draco watch as Sofia left, his heart sinking. He knew he should go after her, that he should tell her he never meant to hurt her. He needed to make sure she knew just how important she was to him, but his legs wouldn't move. He shouldn't have said those things to her, no matter how hard things were for him.

He watched her until the night engulfed her before returning to the lake. He lost track of time as he skated around the lake, lost in his thoughts. He knew he had crossed a fine line tonight… he only hoped he hadn't ruined things between them beyond repair.


	15. Redemption

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

* * *

"This is it?" Snape asked looking into the cauldron Sofia and Draco had prepared their assigned potion, clearly dissatisfied. "This is what my two best students, whom I have been tutoring for the past few months, can produce less than two weeks from our competition?"

Sofia and Draco remained silent, both staring down and refusing to meet professor Snape's eyes. Snape was visibly upset, yet he did not need to raise his voice. The disappointment in it was so strong Sofia halfway wished he would just scream at them and get it over with.

Snape watched them both, wondering what had caused the disturbance between them. He had known something was wrong from the minute his students had walked in earlier tonight; the tension between them was so strong one could almost cut thru it. He had watched them struggle to work together and it didn't surprise him that the final product was so deplorable. He had expected them to put aside their problems while working on the potion but clearly, he had been wrong.

"I want a forty five inch essay on this potion by the time you arrive here on Thursday night. I want a detailed description of every ingredient, where to find them and how they work together. I want an even more detailed description of how to _correctly_ prepare this potion, what it does if prepared the right way and what might happen if prepared the wrong way"

With a wave of his wand, the entire potion was gone, leaving behind an empty cauldron.

"You will attempt to prepare this potion again on Thursday. If you do not succeed, I am pulling both of you out of the competition"

Sofia and Draco looked up, shock on their faces

"I will not consent that you embarrass me and this school in front of everyone in attendance there. Whatever seems to be the issue between you two, take care of it. Am I clear?"

"Yes professor" Responded Sofia and Draco, looking down once more.

"And one more thing… fifty points from Gryffindor and Slytherin"

Sofia flinched at his words. It was the first time she ever lost any points for her house and she felt terrible.

Next to her, Draco hardened his fists. It was the first time Snape took points away from him and it was the first time Snape had ever been disappointed at him, and Draco hated it.

"You may leave now" Snape said, turning his back on his students and heading to his desk.

Sofia and Draco left without a word. Sofia walked fast, wanting nothing more than to distance herself from Snape and Draco but before she could reach the end of the hallway, Draco caught up with her.

"I know you said you wanted to wait until Saturday, but it seems like we don't have time for that. We need to figure things out before Thursday. I know where I stand anyways"

"Fine"

"Can you come with me now?"

"I suppose so… outside again?"

"No, seventh floor. Make sure to cast a disillusionment charm on yourself and just follow me"

Sofia did as he requested and once she was invisible, he began to make his way to the seventh floor. As they walked, Sofia found herself going over all the pros and cons of continuing her relationship with Draco, yet again. She had spent a good part of her Sunday afternoon with Hermione talking about her and Draco and, even though Hermione seemed to be entirely positive that they would be able to work things out, Sofia still wasn't sure of what she wanted to do.

Deep inside, she knew he truly cared about her, but she worried about his resentment and the position it put him in. Going against his family and all those around him, especially the Dark Lord, wasn't easy and she feared he would succumb under the pressure. The logical thing to do would be for them to go their separate ways until things between Harry and the Dark Lord were over, but she could not bring herself to even imagine doing such a thing.

"We are here, you can undo the spell now"

Draco's voice cut into her thoughts, bringing her back to reality. She had no idea how she had managed to follow him all the way up, as she didn't even remember leaving the dungeons. She undid the spell and watched as Draco went by the wall three times, murmuring under his breath.

The trio had told her about using the Room of Requirement for Dumbledore's Army the previous year, so Sofia knew how worked, but she had never been to it. Once the door materialized, Draco opened it and waited for her to go in.

The room had wooden walls and floor and on the wall opposite to the door, two long windows that overlooked the mountains surrounding Hogwarts. In the center of the room were a majestic black piano and a stool. Across from the piano were two large and comfortable couches and four armchairs. Behind them was a massive fireplace, filling the room with light and warmth.

Draco walked past Sofia and sat on the stool. He opened the book sitting in front of him (which Sofia recognized as the one she had given him for Christmas) and turned to address Sofia, who was now sitting in one of the armchairs.

"You asked me to think long and hard about you, about us… and even though I didn't need to, I did" He said, staring right into her eyes "Here is my answer"

He began to play and Sofia was immediately transfixed. Every touch of his fingers on the piano carried loads of emotions that he could not express in any other way. Sofia had only seen him play once, and it was nothing like today. He gave his all to the melody, as if trying to convey his every thought and feeling thru the song. It was beautiful. The song was one that Sofia was still struggling to recognize, but that felt almost familiar.

When Draco was done playing, the silence that filled the room was unsettling, as if the room needed the melody he had played. Without a word, Draco patted the space next to him, inviting Sofia to come sit with him. She obliged immediately.

"I have no words to tell you how truly amazing that was Draco" She watched as the corner of his mouth lifted, in a half smile.

"I have been practicing ever since you gave me the book. I had to stop once the Dark Lord arrived, but I began practicing again Sunday morning"

"Was your dad mad?"

"Yes, although he sat with mother to hear me play once or twice"

"Did they recognize the song?"

"Mother did. Did you?"

"No… is so frustrating" She said laughing.

"I wouldn't have expected you to, is a very old song by a wizard named Marlow.

"It's beautiful"

"Indeed"

"Draco… if we are really going to do this, I need to be sure you are in it as much as I am. What you said last Saturday, although not surprising once I got to think about it, was still alarming. If you are going to resent me and struggle like that, I don't see how things will work for us. It will just end up like last time and I rather not go through that again"

Draco grabbed hold of her hand and turned to face her, his cold grey eyes locked on her warm green ones.

"We were just kids back then Sofia. Things have changed, we have changed. I understand things better now and I am no longer afraid of standing by my choices. I can't promise you that it will be easy, because it won't. What I can promise you is that I am not giving up on us. You are the only good thing in my life and I will fight for you, no matter the consequences"

Draco placed his free hand on Sofia's cheek, and she closed her eyes welcoming his touch.

"I know it won't be easy, but we will make it through" She said, eyes still closed.

Draco delicately slipped his hand from Sofia's cheek to under her chin and drew her in for a kiss. Then, he wrapped his arms around her, as if shielding her from the world.

"Will you play some more?" She asked, pulling away from him.

Draco turned his attention back to the piano, while Sofia laid her head on his shoulder. As he played, Draco let his mind wonder. Their conversation Saturday night had put things into a whole new perspective for him. Sofia really was the only good thing in his life, and she had rescued him twice from drowning in the darkness surrounding his existence. She gave him a new purpose and a reason to fight for what he believed to be right. He had decided to stand by his parents and the Dark Lord, to keep Sofia safe, only until the right moment to turn his back on them arrived.

The clock on the wall showed ten thirty, he had been playing for almost an hour. Looking down at Sofia, he noticed she had fallen asleep, a smile playing on her lips. Gently, he stroked her cheek and watched as her green eyes opened and met his.

Under the disillusionment charm, he walked her to the entrance of the Gryffindor common room. They kissed goodnight and he waited until she had gone in before heading down to his own dormitory.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione were still in the common room when Sofia came in. After coming up with a quick excuse as to why she hadn't returned after tutoring ended at nine, she sat by Hermione and began working on her essay for Snape.

At eleven thirty, Harry and Ron went to bed leaving the girls still sitting at the common room. Once they were gone, Hermione checked to make sure they were alone before questioning Sofia about what had really happened that night.

"Snape threatened to pull you out?"

"Yes… he was really upset"

"Well, he won't have to. Now that things are ok between you and Draco, I am sure you will prepare the potion the right way on Thursday. I am really happy you and him worked things out"

"Me too. I just hope it really was the right thing to do"

"Stop thinking about it like that. You both have made your decision, just let it go"

"I'm trying to…" Sofia sighed and pushed away her half written essay "I will wait and finish this tomorrow, my brain has quit working. I'm going to bed, you coming?"

"Not yet, I am almost done reviewing Harry's homework and I want to finish it tonight"

"Ok, night Mione"

"Night Sofia"

After changing into her pajamas, Sofia sat on the window still by her flower, caressing its petals absent mindedly. Hermione's words were playing over and over in her mind, and she was right. Sofia had made her decision, it was time to let go of her worries.

Draco had promised to fight for her, no matter the consequences and she was determined to do the same for him.


	16. Charlemagne's Castle

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

* * *

Tuesday, January 11th found Draco and Sofia at Professor Snape's office for their last training session. The Hogwarts delegation would be leaving the following day, and Snape had his students reading their notes one more time. Once it was time to leave, Snape retrieved the notes.

"It is very important that you rest well tonight. Do not try to study more between now and tomorrow. If you don't know it by now, it is too late to learn it. I am, however, confident that you will exceed"

Sofia couldn't help but smile. Ever since she and Draco had produced an incredibly good potion during their previous training section, completely redeeming themselves, Professor Snape had been a lot nicer towards them.

"All students competing shall meet in the entrance hall, tomorrow morning at eight, with your trunks. We will take a portal key at eight fifteen and report to the opening ceremony at nine. The ceremony won't begin until nine thirty, but it will give all students and professors a chance to meet each other" He paused, clearly dissatisfied with the idea of having to socialize.

"You are not to wear your school uniform until the competition starts. Once we arrive, we will be directed to our dormitories and you will have the time to change. Any questions?"

Sofia and Draco shook their heads negatively and Professor Snape dismissed them. They left together and Draco walked with Sofia to the entrance of the Gryffindor common room.

"I really wish they would tell us where we are going… I hate not knowing" Sofia said, carefully skipping one of the enchanted steps that would cause her leg to fall thru if she stepped on it.

"I hate it too. Maybe Beauxbatons or Durmstrang?"

"Not Beauxbatons, my friends are also leaving the school tomorrow morning. It would have been great though, I miss that place"

"Maybe Durmstrang then?"

"I hope not, I have heard that school is an eerie place"

"I have heard it is an excellent school. Father considered sending me there once, but mother didn't want me going to school so far away from her"

"I am sure you have, after all the school is famous for teaching Dark Arts. No wonder you father wanted to send you there but I am glad you ended up not going, you would be completely messed up by now"

"Perhaps, but I wouldn't know any different"

"You always have. I doubt they would have changed that in you"

"I guess we will never know"

They had reached the Fat Lady's portrait and they kissed goodnight before Sofia headed in.

"Are you sure you can't come to the Forrest with me for a while?"

"Yes, I need to be here for Hermione. She's been quite nervous for the past few days and she is about to drive the boys bonkers. It's rather funny actually since it is usually the other way around… anyway, good night Draco"

"Night Sofia"

As she walked in, Sofia expected to find Hermione pacing the common room or hidden behind a book reviewing, yet she found her calmly sitting by Ginny while stroking Crookshanks. She seemed to be helping Ginny with her homework, and Sofia wondered what was going on. Quickly scanning the room, Sofia found the boys and made her way towards them.

"Ok, what have you both done?" She said, stepping in front of them and crossing her arms

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked, trying to sound innocent and failing miserably.

"Why is Hermione so calm? And don't pretend you don't know what I am talking about"

The guys exchanged a mischievous look, before facing Sofia again.

"We may have added a few drops of a relaxant tonic to her pumpkin juice during dinner…" Harry said.

"But in our defense, McGonagall gave it to us. She was worried about Hermione stressing out so much" Ron joined in.

"A _few_ drops, you said?"

Harry and Ron exchanged a guilty look.

"There is a possibility I might have dropped a little more than what McGonagall recommended…" Harry said, watching Hermione "but you know she needed it Sofia, you saw how she was last night"

"You better hope she never finds out about it. She would jinx you both" Sofia said, sitting by the guys "but yes, she did need it"

"How are you feeling about it? Me and Ron realized earlier that you haven't said much about it lately"

"I am fine for right now. I'll probably get nervous once we arrive there. I guess it hasn't sunk in yet"

"I know you will do great"

"Thanks Harry!"

"Yeah, you are a natural" Ron said "Just don't let the ferret outperform you. We all know his ego doesn't need to get any bigger"

"The what?"

"Oh, I forgot you weren't here back then. It happened on our fourth year…"

As Ron told the story, clearly enjoying himself, Hermione and Ginny joined them. By the time Ron was finished, all five of them had tears in their eyes from laughing so hard. Sofia felt kind of bad about it, but she really couldn't deny that it was absolutely hilarious. As the clock rang ten o'clock, Sofia and Hermione made their way to their room as both girls wanted to get plenty of sleep.

* * *

Sofia and Hermione woke up at seven the following morning. After a quick shower, they changed into comfortable clothes and met with Harry and Ron before heading down for breakfast.

The effects of the tonic Harry had given Hermione had worn out and she was beginning to get nervous again. When she wasn't looking, he added a few more drops to her water. Harry, Ron and Sofia had agreed on giving her enough this morning to last till later that day, as they all believed she would no longer need it after the first day.

At eight, Professors Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick met their six students at the entrance hall. As they went over final reminders, Sofia found herself wishing she had taken some of the tonic herself. Her stomach was getting upset and she began to regret eating a second helping of French toast.

At eight fourteen, all nine of them gathered around the portal key, touching it with one finger. Sofia was standing between both of her best friends and the realization helped calm her some. As she felt the familiar push of the portal key, she closed her eyes and didn't open them again until she felt her feet touch hard ground once more.

"Benvenuto! Welcome to Charlemagne's Castle, Italy!" Said an animated male voice.

Sofia opened her eyes and turned around to face the man. He was a tall wizard with dark hair and welcoming brown eyes. "_We are in Italy?!"_ she thought, excitement instantly filling her. Looking over at Hermione, she could see her friend was feeling the same way.

"You are the Hogwarts delegation, correct?" He asked, looking at professor McGonagall. She nodded positively and the man went on "My name is Alonzo and I am the owner of this castle. It is my pleasure to have you as my guests for the next few days. One of my house elves, Enzo, will show you the way to your rooms and be at your service during your stay. Please let us know if there is anything we can get you"

At his words, a tinny house elf, dressed in clean white linen, approached them and bowed respectfully. From the corner of her eye, Sofia saw Hermione's face tighten but she refrained from speaking.

After thanking their host, the Hogwarts delegation followed Enzo up to the second floor. They turned into a hallway with three doors to the left and four to the right.

"Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Snape, you rooms are to the left, respectively. Ms. Granger and Smith, Ms. Williams, Mr. Wang and Mr. Wayne and Mr. Malfoy, your rooms are to the right. Please do not hesitate to call me if you need anything. Your belongings are already in your rooms" Bowing again, the elf left.

"You are free to go explore the grounds for a while if you wish to do so" Said McGonagall "It is eight twenty now, so please be back and changed by eight fifty. We will meet in this hallway"

After dismissing the students, the professors went to their respective rooms. Hermione, Sofia and Beatrice (Williams) immediately turned around and headed down to the Castle's grounds together. The guys went to their rooms.

The castle was in the shape of a circle, surrounded by countless trees that spread around for miles*. It was three to four stories high, with light colored stones and red tiles. The castle was built in 802 and located (exactly) on the border of Tuscany and Umbria**.

After walking around, the girls made their way back to their rooms and changed. As the entire delegation met outside in the hallway, the three professors raised their wand and pointed at their respective students.

The house crest on their vests was replaced by the Hogwarts crest and their house colors by black. Under each crest, the words **Potions (For Malfoy and Smith), Transfiguration (For Granger and Wang) and Charms (For Wayne and Williams)** were written.

Once they were ready, Enzo (who had been summoned by Snape) led them to one of the castle's halls. The hall was decorated with bright colors and the walls were covered by paintings of famous Italian painters.*** On the far corner of the room, there was a large table filled with food and refreshments.

The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, as well as Ministry members from the countries for all three schools and Italy, were already present.

Leading by example, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick made their way towards the other professors, but Sofia didn't need any encouragement. She had already spotted her friends from Beauxbatons and grabbing Hermione by the arm she walked towards them.

* * *

* I don't think I did enough justice to this beautiful castle when I described it, and since I cant give you the link, just google it if you wish to see a picture. I hope you find it as breathtaking as I did! And in case you are wondering why I chose a castle in Italy, you can blame Dan Brown (one of my all-time favorite writers) and his new book.

** Information based on a NYTimes article.

*** I have no idea how the interior of the castle really looks like, I have created all the rooms and their descriptions.


	17. Conscientia

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

* * *

As Sofia walked towards her Beauxbatons friends, she noticed that the other students also had the words Potions, Charms and Transfiguration written on their uniforms as well as their school crest. She found that addition to her old school's uniform very odd. When she came closer, one of her friends finally recognized her.

"Sofia, ma belle Sofia!" He said, making his way towards her, a huge smile on his face "Tu me manques"*.

" Bonjour Pierre. Tu me manques aussi"** Sofia said, returning his smile.

She hugged all four of her friends before turning around and introducing them to Hermione.

"Hermione, these are Pierre, Rémy, Marie and Pauline. Guys, this is Hermione"

Pierre was a tall man with shoulder length dark hair and green eyes. Next to him stood Rémy who had blond hair and deep blue eyes, Marie with a long blond hair (much like Draco's) and blue eyes, and a Pauline with short brown hair and green eyes.

"Enchanté"*** They all said, shaking Hermione's hand.

After grabbing drinks and plates, the group made their way to one of the tables located on the other side of the hall. Other people were sitting around them and the room was filled with the sound of animated conversation and the smell of delicious appetizers.

* * *

After greeting some of the Ministry members and a few of his acquaintances from Durmstrang, Draco made his way to professor Snape who was sitting by Sigvard, the new Durmstrang Headmaster.

Discretely he watched Sofia sitting with her friends. He knew there was no reason to be jealous, yet he was. He did not appreciate the way the two guys had hugged her or how one of them had placed his arm around her minutes after they sat down to eat. The longer he watched them, the more he realized he was being plain stupid about it although it didn't change how he felt. Shaking his head, he joined professor Snape and Sigvard in their discussion about the tournament.

* * *

At nine thirty, Alonzo asked all his guests to please stand up and with a wave of his wand, the tables disappeared and the chairs reorganized themselves, facing the wall opposite to the refreshment table. In front of the chairs, a small stage appeared with a podium at is center. Three chairs materialized on the podium's left side and two on the right side.

Alonzo made his way to the stage followed by the Italian Minister and they sat on the right side of the podium. The other three Ministers sat on the left side. A group of twelve wizards and witches Sofia had never seen before sat on the first two rows of chairs facing the stage. Once they were seated, the delegations from all three schools sat in the remaining chairs.

Once all were seated, Alonzo stop up and stepped behind the podium.

"Good morning and once again, welcome! After months of training very hard, the moment has finally arrived. I know I speak for all present here when I say that I am looking forward to seeing you perform to the best of your abilities. The honor to formally open this tournament has been given to Mr. Vincenzio, the Minister of Magic for our country, so please join me in welcoming him"

Everyone clapped as Vincenzio stood up and took the podium. Smiling widely, he opened his arms in a sign of welcome.

"Welcome all. It gives me great pleasure to finally have you here, after months of preparations. And now, I officially declare the Conscientia Tournament open!" He waited while everyone clapped once more before continuing "As you might know, the word Conscientia is Latin for knowledge and after countless meetings, it was finally decided that it was a very fitting name. For the next few days, you will compete against each other in a variety of ways designed to test your knowledge and talent in the areas of Potions, Charms and Transfiguration. We know all of you are extremely talented and intelligent witches and wizards, so we expect only the greatest things from you. No pressure" He smile and winked at his audience, causing a few people to laugh.

"You might be wondering why, of all places, this tournament is taking place in Italy. Your Ministers had decided from the very beginning that this Tournament would be very different from the Triwizard Tournament and as such, they decided not to host it at any of the competing schools. A final decision was reached to host it in foreign countries that were not participating in the Tournament, alternating countries with every tournament. It so happens that I am very good friends with Madame Maxime and I was able to get her in touch with my friend Alonzo, who so kindly volunteered his castle…"

"Now, I am sure you are wondering whom these people sitting in the first two rows are" He said, looking at the students "They have been selected from each of our Ministries to conduct the tournament. Four of them will be responsible for Charms, four for Potions and the remaining four for Transfiguration. They will watch you closely during the next few days and will assign you points that will be added by Saturday afternoon. No points will be revealed until the Awards Ceremony Saturday night"

After the Minister finished his speech, Alonzo and the other three Ministers also gave speeches. By the time everyone was dismissed, it was eleven thirty in the morning. Before dismissing his guests, Alonzo had indicated where each competition would take place, as well as where the dining hall was. He finished by reminding everyone the room they were currently in was to remain a common room in which people could come in and socialize until curfew at midnight.

* * *

The dining room was a large room with a high ceiling, in which an enormous chandelier illuminated the area. Large rectangular tables with ten chairs each were scattered around the room. The wooden floor was almost hidden by a large rug with intricate pattern and the walls were once again decorated with countless paintings. It was a sumptuous room.

Sofia, Hermione and Beatrice sat with a group from Beauxbatons while Draco and Snape sat on a table with the Minister of Magic and some of the wizards and witches that would be testing them. Their other two professors sat together with the remaining Hogwarts students, Madame Maxime and a few of her students.

At twelve fifty, Sofia wished Hermione and her friends good luck and walked towards Malfoy and Snape. Together, they made their way to the fourth floor and the room assigned for Potions.

* * *

* "Sofia, my beautiful Sofia. I have missed you"

** "Good morning Pierre. I have missed you too"

*** "Nice to meet you"


	18. Jealousy

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

* * *

The four witches and wizards responsible for Potions were already in the room when the six students and their three professors walked in. They sat on chairs, with tables in front of them, on a small stage overseeing the room. Directly across from the stage were three rows with two chairs each and behind them, against the wall, were six chairs for the audience. Any professors or members of the Ministries could watch the competition at any given time.

Sofia recognized the two Beauxbatons students, although they weren't friends. Before it was time to begin, each professor addressed his team. As Sofia listened to professor Snape, her mind kept wondering towards Mr. Edward. She had spent quite a few minutes catching up with him earlier and now, as she watched him address his two students in rapid French, she truly realized just how much she missed him and his tutoring. Forcing herself to turn away, she focused on Professor Snape once more.

As the clock rang one, a tall witch with short red hair stood up. She had pleasant features and a warm smile.

"Welcome everyone. Students, please take your seats"

She waited until everyone had sat down before continuing. Draco and Sofia sat in the middle row, with the Durmstrang students to their left and the Beauxbatons to their right. The professors sat in the back and were soon joined by a couple more people.

"My name is Elizabeth and I, along with my colleagues will be judging you in the next few days. Now, before we begin, let me explain to you how things will take place in the next few days. Today will be dedicated to the written exam, and there will be two of them. You will have two hours to complete the first exam by yourself and, after a forty five minute break, another two hours to complete the second exam as a team. If you finish before the allowed time" her expression clearly implying she doubted such a thing was possible "We ask that you turn your exam face down and remain in place until everyone else is done"

She then explained the itinerary for the rest of the week. On Thursday, breakfast would be served from seven to nine. The students would have from nine to twelve to prepare their first portion, followed by lunch from twelve till one. They would work on the second potion from one to six, with a break from three to four. Dinner would be served from six to eight and curfew was at midnight.

On Friday, breakfast would be served from seven till nine. The students would then work on their third portion from nine till twelve. Lunch would take place from twelve till one and they would continue to work on the third potion from one till six, with a half hour break beginning at four thirty. The rest of the day would be like the previous one.

Finally, on Saturday, breakfast would again be served from seven to nine. Students were to come back to this room at nine. Lunch would be served from twelve till one and the award ceremony would begin at six. The dinner and Ball afterwards would begin at seven and end at midnight.

Once she was done speaking and no one had any questions to ask, she waved her wand and six exams flew towards the students. She then turned the hourglass sitting on the table, where everyone could see it, and told the students to begin.

Sofia had been nervous ever since entering the room, as the reality of the competition finally sunk in. When the exams flew their way, she risked a quick glance over her shoulder. As if he had been waiting for her to look his way all along, Draco's eyes met hers and the encouragement in them was all Sofia needed. Turning back towards her exam, she smiled at the paper no longer nervous.

* * *

At exactly three, Elizabeth waved her wand once more and the exams flew her way. Sofia, Draco and a student from Durmstrang had finished their exams just a few minutes earlier. The remaining students had barely finished it before the allowed time.

Sofia, Draco and Snape left the room together and made their way to the castle's common room. After waiting on his students to grab a few refreshments, Snape indicated a table in the left corner and waited until they were all seated before speaking.

"Ms. Smith, tell me how you think you did"

"Very well actually, although some of the questions were difficult"

"Mr. Malfoy?" Snape said

"Extremely well"

Sofia rolled her eyes as Professor Snape nodded, seeming pleased. No matter how much Draco had changed in the past few months, his pride remained the same and she knew even though he probably struggled with a few questions just as she did, he was not about to admit to it.

When she saw Hermione, Rémy and Pauline walk into the room, she excused herself from Snape and Draco and walked towards them. For the next twenty minutes, they talked about their respective exams and the upcoming days. Sofia was relieved to see Hermione was much calmer now.

* * *

The Potions room was organized slightly different when they returned. The six chairs for the students were no longer in rows. Two side by side chairs were in the center of the room, while the remaining side by side chairs were placed closer to the front, apart from each other. The chairs formed a triangle and were positioned as such to allow the students some privacy to work in teams.

Once they had sat down, Sofia and Draco in the middle again, Elizabeth explained that once she turned the hourglass, she would cast a spell around the students that would keep them from hearing anyone but their partners. She would undo the spell in time to warn them the allowed time was over.

"Ready?" Draco asked, as the exam flew their way. Sofia nodded in response.

It took them longer than either had expected to finish, although they were the first ones to be done, fifteen minutes earlier than the allowed time. The vast majority of the questions were ones they knew, but a few questions were so difficult it sometimes took them minutes to decide on a final answer. By the time they left for dinner, Sofia and Draco both had a massive headache.

This time, Snape questioned them as they headed to dinner. Draco asked him about a few of the questions he and Sofia weren't sure about and was pleased that he and Sofia had gotten all but one right.

Sofia sat with Hermione and her Beauxbatons friends again and once done with dinner, they headed to the common room where they stayed until curfew. A few of the Hogwarts students joined them and their group was the most animated in the room.

Draco was also in the common room, but he refrained from joining a larger group. Instead, he sat with two other Durmstrang students, their head master and Snape.

* * *

The following morning Sofia was in her room, waiting on Hermione to finish her shower before they could head down to breakfast. Engrossed as she was by the beautiful view from their room window, she didn't notice as Draco came in.

"Finally, I have you all to myself" He whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Sofia jumped and, on instinct, tried to turn around and face him but her movements were limited within his arms.

"Draco" She gasped "What are you doing here?! You are going to get us in trouble!"

"Why? No one else has a reason to come in here and even if they did, they would knock before coming in"

"What about Hermione?"

"What difference does it make? You said she knows about us and I knew she was still in the bathroom anyways"

"How?"

"You really don't think I checked with a spell before coming in?"

"I… still…"

Laughing to himself, he spun her around and kissed her. After a while, he pulled back and faced her.

"Tell that French guy if he puts his arms around you _one more time_, something bad will happen to him"

"and that's because you are still not jealous, right?"

"Right. That's because Malfoy's are _very _possessive"

"Don't say!"

Kissing her forehead he turned to leave. Before stepping out he turned towards her again.

"You can tell Granger she can come out now" And he was gone.

As soon as the door closed, Hermione opened the bathroom door and joined Sofia in the room. She had a smirk on her face indicating she knew what had just transpired and Sofia instantly turned red.

"How are you going to tell Pierre he needs to keep his arms of you?" Hermione asked, laughing at the look Sofia shot her way.

"No idea. We have always been like that with each other… maybe I just won't say anything. Draco is being senseless about it"

"Aren't you worried that Draco will actually do something to Pierre?"

"He wouldn't… would he?"

"He's a Malfoy Sofia, need I say more?"

Mumbling under her breath all the way down to breakfast, Sofia was trying to figure out what to say to Pierre, while Hermione chatted animatedly with Professor McGonagall. Part of Sofia believed Malfoy was being unreasonable, but she knew that if the situation was the other way around she would have done the same thing. Not being able to tell everyone they were together was not an excuse for not behaving as such.

* * *

Her conversation with Pierre before breakfast had been a little awkward at first and Sofia feared she had hurt his feelings but in the end he seemed to be fine. She was relieved to notice that by the end of breakfast he was back to normal around her, although he did keep his arms to himself.

The six student chairs were gone. In their place were three tables and six stools for the teams to prepare the assigned potions. Once everyone had sat down, Elizabeth pulled a folded piece of parchment from a glass container a wizard sitting on her right side was holding. With a wave of her wand, the potion, its ingredients and the instructions appeared on the wall behind the stage.

On both sides of the room, two huge tables were covered with different ingredients. Once Elizabeth turned the hourglass Sofia and a student from the other two schools headed towards the tables to gather the ingredients. Once she had everything, she made her way back to Draco.

The potion they were working on was Draco's favorite and one they had easily prepared during their training sessions. As they had done before, Draco cut, squeezed, measured or otherwise prepared the ingredients while Sofia added them and stirred the cauldron when needed.

When Elizabeth told them to step away from the cauldron, the other three wizards stepped down and each collected a sample from one of the cauldrons.

* * *

The second potion was a little harder and one both Sofia and Draco detested. The main reason neither of them liked it was the extremely precise timing and direction one needed to stir the potion. The slightest mistake would ruin the entire potion, which was exactly what happened to the Durmstrang students half an hour after they began.

Sofia sympathized with their frustration, as having to start over would almost certainly keep them from finishing on time. Draco was clearly pleased with their mistake, as it increased Hogwarts chances to score higher.

After their potions had been collected and Elizabeth had dismissed them, Sofia and Draco headed down to dinner. Before reaching the dining room, Draco pulled her aside, away from everyone else.

"Will you be staying down here until midnight again?"

"I suppose so. Why?"

"Could you leave a little earlier?"

"Could you tell me what is this about?"

"I want you to come spend some time with me, in my room"

Sofia hesitated. She was more than used to being around Draco alone, but never in a bedroom. Somehow the idea troubled her. She looked up at him hoping his eyes would ease her feelings and the moment their eyes met, she had made a decision.

* * *

After dinner, Sofia asked Hermione to come back to their room with her. Once they were inside, she told Hermione about Draco's invitation and her troubled feelings, which were not entirely gone. To Sofia's surprise, by the end of their conversation she was feeling much better.

Before heading down to the common room, Sofia took a quick shower while Hermione waited on her. As with the night before, their group was the loudest and most animated in the room. A little after ten, Sofia watched Draco leave and after a few minutes, she did the same.

* * *

Draco's room was a little smaller than the one Sofia shared with Hermione. It had a large bed at its center, bedside tables and a writing desk with a chair facing the window. Draco had already sat on the chair, so Sofia sat on his bed. For the longest time they talked about the tournament, the people they each knew from the other schools and other non-important things.

"I saw you speaking with the French guy… Pierre you said, this morning. I am glad he did as you asked, for the consequences would have been most unpleasant to him"

"You are quite adorable when you are jealous like that" She mocked him. He looked indignant she had called him adorable.

"I have told you, I am not jealous"

"Whatever you say"

As much as he tried to keep his expression angry, Sofia's laughter was contagious. Getting up, he made his way towards her and set in bed next to her.

"I will let it slip this time, but I won't be so generous next time. Am I clear?"

Still laughing she nodded yes. Draco inched closer to her until there was no room in between them. Eyes locked on hers, he softly leaned in to kiss her.

Sofia was exceptionally aware of their proximity and of the intensity of his kiss but it wasn't until he placed one of his hands on her shoulder and ever so gently pushed her down that her heart began to beat fast. Pulling his head back just enough so he could see her face, Draco locked eyes with her once more.

Their silent conversation soothed Sofia's nerves and when Draco kissed her again, she responded with just as much intensity.


	19. A twist

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

* * *

The bright sun rays filtering thru the window fell upon Sofia's face, bringing warmth into the room. She had been awake for a while now, yet she was reluctant to move.

She was resting on her side facing the window and next to her Draco also rested on his side. His head was right behind hers and his slow breathing by her neck sent shivers down her spine. Draco's right arm rested across her waist and his right hand was holding hers. Delicately, so as not to wake him, Sofia traced his hand with her finger enjoying the moment. With great effort and care, she untangled herself from him and stood up.

Once she was ready to leave, she walked towards the door and casted a spell to ensure the hallway was empty. Before stepping out, she glanced back at Draco and a wide smile spread across her face. She had never seen him like that, so exposed. His walls were entirely down and his expression was one of genuine peacefulness. As tough as their relationship was, she couldn't help but to feel the happiest and luckiest girl alive, and she knew with even more conviction that she would do whatever it took to guarantee his happiness.

* * *

Back in her room, she found Hermione still asleep. Quietly, she collected her clean uniform from her trunk and headed to the bathroom. By the time she finished showering and getting dressed, she heard Hermione moving around the room and as she stepped out of the bathroom, the smirk on her friend's face rivaled even Draco's.

"Morning" Sofia said, smiling awkwardly at her friend.

"Morning" Hermione said, smiling back.

It was obvious she suspected what had happened between Draco and Sofia the night before, but Sofia was not ready to confirm her suspicions. Thankfully, Hermione knew better than to question her, choosing instead to discuss the day ahead. When both girls had showered and changed, they went for breakfast.

Draco was already in the room when the girls arrived. He was sitting with Snape, his back towards the doors. Sofia kept her eyes away from him, suddenly feeling agitated. Noticing the change in Sofia's mood, Hermione leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Is everything ok?"

"I am not sure"

Grabbing Sofia by the arm, Hermione made her way towards an empty table at the furthest end of the room. Hoping to talk to Sofia before anyone decided to join them, she barely waited until they were seated before resuming their conversation.

"What's wrong?"

"I, I left his room while he was still asleep and… I just don't know how it will be once we face each other again. Or if things will change between us now… What if he's mad that I left like that? I think I just made things unnecessarily uncomfortable between us… I'm a bloody idiot"

"Of course it will change things between you Sofia, but in a good way. It will bring you closer"

"Then why do I feel like this?" She said, visibly frustrated. She knew better than to let her emotions take over and her openness at the moment unsettled her.

"Sofia, your relationship with him is everything but easy. With all else you already worry about, plus the… intimate nature of what happened, it only makes sense you feel like this. You have told me before he knows you like no one else and for that reason I don't think you should worry or feel bad. It might be awkward at first, but it will work itself out"

She watched as Sofia nodded, halfway convinced, but before she could say another word, their friends from Beauxbatons joined them. Once they were all seated and had exchanged "Good mornings" and "How are you?s" they began eating and chatting.

From the corner of her eye, Sofia saw Professor Snape and Draco get up and look around the room for her. Once he spotted her, Snape tilted his head towards the door and began making his way out with Malfoy. After finishing her pumpkin juice, Sofia leaned towards Hermione.

"Thank you"

As she pulled back and bid everyone goodbye, she looked at Hermione and her friend mouthed a "you are welcome" with an understanding smile.

* * *

The last potion to be selected was the easiest among the sixteen they had studied, although it took the longest to prepare and required a large number of ingredients.

Draco and Sofia spent the majority of their allowed time in the morning preparing the ingredients, as the instructions called for, and only began adding them to the cauldron a few minutes before their lunch break.

If Draco was upset or uncomfortable, he did not show. They worked together normally which allowed Sofia to calm down. By the time they stopped for lunch, her confusing feelings were long gone.

Because they would still be working on the same potion that afternoon, the students ate lunch in another, smaller, room away from the professors and any other students. The only table in the room was a large round wooden table, enough to fit the six students. During lunch, Sofia chatted with the Beauxbatons students while Draco did the same with the students from Durmstrang.

* * *

Upon returning to the potions room and given permission to start, Sofia began stirring the potion and adding the ingredients Draco handed her. Because they had to wait long minutes in between adding ingredients or stirring and because no one else could hear them, Draco seized the opportunity to talk to Sofia.

"Do you want to talk about last night?"

His question startled Sofia and she almost cut herself instead of the dragon liver she was currently chopping. Facing him, she smiled timidly before resuming her work with the dragon liver.

"I don't"

"Oh…"

"It's not like that, I just…"

"Do you regret it?"

"No!" She said alarmed, looking up once more.

The intensity of his gaze made her want to face down once more, but she held his gaze. He seemed to be looking for something that would confirm what she had said. Sofia wondered what Professor Snape was thinking about his two students facing each other with such stern expressions and she was about to turn away from Draco when she noticed the smallest hint of smile on him. Without another word, he took the pieces of liver she had cut and added them to the cauldron.

At five fifty nine, the judges collected a sample of each potion, before dismissing the students. Both Sofia and Draco were very pleased with their final potion and after a quick meeting with Professor Snape, Sofia made her way back to her room to meet Hermione, as they had agreed on.

Draco was also going back to his room, so he walked by Sofia.

"It's hard to believe is already over. I am not ready to leave!" She said, looking around with a longing expression.

"Have you forgotten we still have tomorrow?"

"No! I'm looking forward to the awards and the Ball. But I'm referring to the exams and potions, we are done with those… I am going to miss working with you…"

"Snape will still tutor us, once we get back"

"I know"

They had made it to the hallway and each went into their respective rooms. Soon after, Hermione arrived and both girls quickly showered and changed before heading down to dinner.

Once they were done eating, they went to the common room with the rest of their group. Although no winners had been announced yet and they still had a full day on Saturday, they talked and celebrated the end of the competition and their newfound friendships.

Across the room, Draco sat with Professor Snape and the usual crowd from Durmstrang. He had not given much thought to the Ball the following night, but ever since Sofia had mentioned it with undeniable excitement, he couldn't stop thinking about it.

Unlike the Yule Ball, the students would not be required to open the festivities with a dance, although there would be a dance floor. He knew he couldn't ask Sofia to dance, for all the obvious reasons, yet he longed to have her in his arms.

While pondering possible solutions, he watched as the castle's owner Alonzo stood up to leave. With a plan forming in his mind, Draco discreetly followed him into the hallway.

* * *

When the professors and students arrived at the Potions room the next morning, the tables with cauldrons and stools were still in place. The table with the ingredients and the chalkboard were empty. Once they were all seated and right before the clock rang nine, Elizabeth stood up to address them.

"It was decided that in order to truly test your abilities, you are to prepare one more potion this morning. This potion was not on the list given to your professors and it is much harder than any of the sixteen." With a wave of her wand, a list of the ingredients and their measurement appeared on the chalkboard, with a few instructions. With another wave of her wand, the ingredients materialized on the table.

"As I am sure you have noticed, I have not named this potion, neither have I given you the full instructions on how to prepare it. Together with preparing the potion, each team is to submit a parchment paper with the name of this potion and what it does. Once you have approached the ingredients table, you will notice they are not labeled. This is also a way to test your knowledge. You have until twelve to finish it. You may begin"

With a wave of her wand, the spell around the students was back, and she turned the hourglass before sitting down again.

Reading over the ingredients list, Draco was confident he could find them on the table, labeled or not. He had a true talent to recognize the different components used in potions. He turned towards Sofia to tell her he was going to retrieve the ingredients but his words got lost as he found her smiling brilliantly at the chalkboard.

"What are you smiling for? We have an unknown potion to work on!"

"Because" She said, still looking at the board "I know this potion, I have prepared it before"

"What?"

"I read about it in a book Mr. Edward gave me two years ago and I asked him to let me work on it, even though it was advanced work at the time"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive"

"Ok, I'm going to get the ingredients"

While Draco was gone, she wrote down the potion's name and outcome on the provided parchment. She was almost done when Draco joined her. She then proceeded to tell him that they were working on a potion known as Somnium.

A person who drank from this potion would fall asleep without noticing and dream about what he or she believed to be actually happening. This potion was considerate dangerous because if prepared incorrectly, the person who drank it would never wake up. It was created by ancient wizards who wished to keep their prisoners unaware of their surroundings.

"Today, this potion is used by healers to treat patients without causing them any suffering. Once the person falls asleep, he or she is entirely unaware of what is happening around them" She said.

As she helped Draco prepare the ingredients, she looked around the room. To her satisfaction, none of the other students seemed to be sure of what this potion was or how to prepare it, although they seemed to be doing fine given the circumstances.

At twelve, the witches and wizards came down one last time to collect the potions from each cauldron. Before dismissing them, Elizabeth congratulated them on their hard work, and each of the other judges gave a quick speech as well.

When they were free to go, Sofia looked for Professor Edwards and found him staring right at her. He smiled and nodded, truly happy for her. She smiled back at him and followed Draco and Professor Snape out of the room.

Snape took them back to his room which had a small living room that led to the bedroom and bathroom. They settled in the living room.

"You performed exceptionally well today. Very few people venture to produce that potion without proper training"

"Sofia had done it before" Draco said, matter-of-factly.

"Oh" Snape said, raising an eyebrow at her. Sofia told him what she had told Malfoy. "I see… well done Ms. Smith"

"Thank you professor"

"You too Mr. Malfoy"

"Thank you sir"

"Before I dismiss you, and as a reward for your hard work, I'm giving each of you a hundred and fifty points and school trophy of excellence in Potions"

After Sofia and Draco thanked Snape, they left, both feeling proud and accomplished.

Sofia was about to ask Draco a question when Hermione approached them.

"C'mon Sofia, we need to hurry up and eat lunch or we won't have enough time to get ready for tonight" She grabbed Sofia by the arm and marched down the hallway.

Looking over her shoulder, Sofia shot an apologetic look at Draco. He rolled his eyes and, shaking his head, made his way after them towards the dining room.


	20. Awards

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

3. A huge thanks to my friend Christine for her help with this chapter!

I apologize this chapter is a little short, but hopefully you will enjoy it. I spent quite a few minutes on Google, finding the different names for the Beauxbatons and Drusmtrang students and I hope they sound good enough.

* * *

The Award Ceremony was to take place at the common room, that now held the same stage and chair arrangement as it did during the opening ceremony, with the exception of the three chairs on the podium's left side. This time, the space was left empty. Several people were already in the room socializing.

Draco stood with Professor Snape, neither of them talking. He wondered why it was taking the girls so long and wished they would hurry up. He was eager to see Sofia. Finally, just a few minutes before six, he saw them enter the room. He watched as they made their way towards the Beauxbatons students and had to fight a smile. Even from a distance, Sofia was breathtaking.

She wore a scarlet red gown with a sweetheart neckline which was glittered with gold. The red fabric hugged her curvy frame and flowed out mid-hip into a pleated A-line skirt. The upper part of her lustrous dark hair was pulled into an elegant bun, while the lower locks fell freely down her back and two locks fell around her face, framing it. Her makeup matched the red and gold of her dress, in a simple but graceful manner.

Hermione's gown was strapless, floor length and of a deep Midnight blue. The bodice was fitted from the neckline to the drop-waist skirt. Her hips were accentuated with silver baroque embroidery which flowed around the edges of the overlaying chiffon and above the taffeta skirt. Her hair was braided and the braid fell around her left shoulder. Her makeup also matched the color of her dress.

At Alonzo's request, everyone sat down. He then took the stage.

"Good evening. It is hard to believe that just a few days ago I was standing here welcoming all of you. Before Mr. Vincenzio takes the podium, let me congratulate you for your hard work and exceptional performances. It has indeed been a pleasure to witness this competition"

He sat down and Vincenzio stepped behind the podium.

"I will also like to congratulate you. First I congratulate you, teachers, for all your effort and time dedicated to your students. Second, I congratulate you, the students, for you effort and representation. It has been most inspiring to watch you. Finally, I congratulate all those involved in organizing and carrying out this tournament. It was clearly a success. Now, without further ado, let's begin with the awards"

Alonzo stood up and approached the Italian Minister. With a wave of his wand, the table with the framed awards and the trophy floated to the stage.

"First" Vincenzio said "The individual written exam awards. As your name is called, please come to the left side of the podium. I will give out the awards once all students are on stage. For Charms, Mr. Rémy Bellanger, representing Beauxbatons" He stopped as everyone clapped "For Transfiguration, a tie between Ms. Hermione Granger, representing Hogwarts and Ms. Femke Kaat, representing Durmstrang" More applauses "and finally, for Potions, Ms. Sofia Smith, representing Hogwarts"

People continued to applaud as Sofia made her way to the stage with Hermione, both displaying huge smiles. Once the awards were given and the students returned to their seats, Vincenzio spoke again.

"Now, for the group written exam awards. And we will follow the same procedure. For charms, Mr. Rémy Bellanger and Mr. Bernet Baron representing Beauxbatons. For transfiguration, Ms. Hermione Granger and Mr. Daniel Wang representing Hogwarts and for Potions, Mr. Draco Malfoy and Ms. Sofia Smith representing Hogwarts.

The students made their way to the stage and received the awards. Once seated again, Vincenzio continued.

"The next awards were based on the cumulative total of your second and third days. For Charms, Ms. Beatrice Williams and Mr. Andrew Wayne representing Hogwarts. For Transfiguration, a tie between Ms. Kato Lien and Ms. Hannah Imane representing Durmstrang and Ms. Hermione Granger and Mr. Daniel Wang representing Hogwarts. For Potions, a tie between Mr. Draco Malfoy and Ms. Sofia Smith representing Hogwarts and Ms. Elle Dumount and Ms. Jardine Lassalle representing Beauxbatons"

Sofia's face was hurting from smiling so much and for so long. Looking over at Professor Snape, she was pleased to see his expression. He did not smile, but it was impossible to deny he was proud of her and Draco.

"These awards will be given to the students that excelled at the surprise challenge, earlier this morning. For charms Mr. Rémy Bellanger and Mr. Bernet Baron representing Beauxbatons. For transfiguration, Ms. Hermione Granger and Mr. Daniel Wang representing Hogwarts and for Potions, Mr. Draco Malfoy and Ms. Sofia Smith also representing Hogwarts.

Once again, the room erupted in applause as the students made their way to the stage to receive their awards.

"And finally, the trophy. This award will be given to the school that obtained the highest amount of points. I ask that the Head teacher representing the school come to the stage to receive the award"

He stopped and looked around the audience, clearly enjoying the suspense.

"It is my great pleasure to give this trophy to… Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry"

As professor McGonagall stood up, the Hogwarts students erupted in screams and applause. After she sat back down, Vincenzio spoke again.

"Once again, let me congratulate each and every one of you! You should be very proud of your accomplishments these past few days. I hope this tournament has given you the chance to see old friends and make new ones, challenge yourselves and broaden your horizons. Before I dismiss you, please remember that representatives from local newspapers in Italy and your respective countries are in attendance tonight and they would like to speak with you as well as to take a few pictures. The next half an hour will be dedicated to that and, at seven, the dining room will open for the Ball. Enjoy!"

Sofia made her way to her Beauxbatons friends and congratulated them. Mr. Edward congratulated Sofia, telling her how proud he was. Afterwards, she made her way back to where the Hogwarts delegation stood. For what it felt like an eternity, she talked to different reporters and posed for different pictures by herself, with Draco, with Draco and Snape and with the entire delegation. She was extremely grateful when seven o'clock finally arrived.

Walking by Hermione and with Draco following close by, she made her way to the dining room, ready to eat and dance the night away.

* * *

I know several of you will probably think it was too obvious that Hermione, Draco and Sofia did so good and I agree. But Sofia and Draco are the main characters, and Hermione, well... she is the smartest which ever! ( :


	21. Under the moonlight

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

* * *

One look at the dining room and it became clear it had been enlarged by magic; it was twice its original size. It was decorated in black and white and at the very center was a large dance floor with the Hogwarts crest at its midpoint. Round tables with twelve chairs each surrounded the dance floor and a small stage sat against the wall directly across from the doors.

Hermione and Sofia sat on a table near the stage and were soon joined by their usual group of friends. Draco was also sitting with his usual group, on a table across the dance floor. Resting on the plates were the menus and for a while the room was filled with the buzz of people discussing different food options. Once a decision was made, all the person had to do was say the name of the food out loud and seconds later the food would materialized on the plate.

The menu was extensive and composed mainly of Italian dishes, although a few dishes from the countries of each school were also available. After much consideration, Sofia decided on spinach and cheese ravioli, while Hermione chose the Carbonara. For dessert, both girls chose Tartufo.

Engrossed as she was eating and talking, Sofia didn't notice a band had taken the stage and was currently preparing to play until the lights around the room were dimmed and she looked around in confusion.

The Italian band began to play an upbeat song, but at first no one seemed brave enough to make its way to the dance floor. Finally, Pierre stood up and, grabbing Pauline by the hand, walked towards the dance floor. Not long after they began dancing, more people joined them.

Pierre looked over at his friends and with a grim, waived them over. Together, they all stood up and walked towards Pierre and Pauline. Song after song Sofia and Hermione danced, mainly by themselves but sometimes with one of the guys. Very few people remained sitting, mainly teachers and minister members, although a few of them were also dancing. Sofia had lost track of Draco and she wandered if and why he had already left the Ball. She also wondered if she should go find him, but she was having such a good time she couldn't imagine leaving.

* * *

Draco had sat watching Sofia dance for a long time before making his way outside. He had to make sure everything was in place before giving Granger the signal.

The night before, after speaking with Alonzo, Draco had returned to his room, written Granger a note and magically placed it on her bed. It was past midnight when he heard a faint knock on his door. Then Granger came in. If she was surprised, she did not show and Draco wasted no time. He told her about his plan for Saturday night and she enthusiastically agreed on bringing Sofia to him when the time was right. He had never expected to be alone with Granger, much last requesting her help, no matter how small and he found the experience unsettling.

Without all the hatred his father had fed him, he realized that he actually didn't mind Granger, although he doubted he would ever consider her a friend. If he and Sofia were to be together, he would evidently have to deal with Granger, Potter, Weasley and any of Sofia's friends, a prospect he disliked but knew to be necessary. It was astonishing to realize how far he was willing to push his limits for Sofia.

Once he was satisfied with all his arrangements, he sent the signal.

* * *

People were enthusiastically dancing when the candles on the chandelier went off, engulfing the room in darkness. Then the candles lit again. It was only dark for a second, but everyone in the room, including the musicians, stopped to stare at the ceiling. The yellow light from the candles flickered and turned red, then green, then blue and finally back to yellow.

Seconds more passed and when it became clear whatever had happened was done, the band resumed playing and people resumed dancing. A few people still gazed upward, some talking about what had happened. As Sofia continued to look up with a confused expression, Hermione approached her.

"Who do you reckon did that?" Sofia said, looking around the room.

"Someone from the tournament"

"Then why are they also looking up with confused expressions?" She asked, turning towards her friend.

"Um, I don't know. Sofia, would you walk around with me for a while?"

"Is everything ok?"

"Yes, it's just a little hot in here so maybe we could walk outside and cool off?"

For a few seconds Sofia stared at Hermione, as if she didn't believe in what her friend had just suggested.

"Ok, let's go" She finally said. Relieved, Hermione led the way out of the room and to the castle's grounds.

It was a beautiful night, and the full moon provided just enough light to illuminate the grounds. It was colder than Hermione had expected. It wasn't long before both her and Sofia began to shiver in their gowns and she began to walk faster towards the edge of the forest, where Draco was, before Sofia suggested they went back inside. In an effort to distract Sofia, Hermione asked about her impressions on the Ball so far.

As they turned a corner, past the last tall ornamental bushes on the property, Hermione stopped walking, staring straight ahead. From the corner of her eye, she saw Sofia stop and follow her gaze. Sofia gasped.

Directly across from them, a few feet from the forest, was a large gazebo made of dark wood. Draping from the ceiling and sides of the gazebo were countless white violets. Floating around the ceiling were a few candles, providing just enough light and casting a mysterious air to the gazebo.

Standing next to the gazebo was Draco. His blond hair reflected the light from the moon and the candles, but his eyes shone the brightest. His expensive clothes were a deep shade of black and green, and even Hermione couldn't argue he looked very attractive.

"I will see you back inside" She said to Sofia. Turning, she nodded towards Draco and left.

Sofia didn't move. She stood staring at Draco and the gazebo behind him, trying to absorb everything. She couldn't decide what was more breathtaking, Draco, the gazebo or the combination of both. Finally, she closed the distance between them, coming to a stop in front of him.

They stared into each other's eyes for a long time before Draco extended his right hand.

"Would you like to dance?"

"Yes" Sofia said, her voice almost a whisper.

Guiding her, Draco walked to the center of the gazebo. He placed his hands on her hips, while she placed hers around his neck. He whispered a word and music began to play. The song was slow and entirely instrumental. Looking all over, Sofia tried to determine from where the music was playing and she gasped when she realized the song was coming from the flowers. She had never seen anything like it. Focusing her eyes on Draco's, she smiled, a smile she hoped would convey her appreciation for all he had done.

They danced in silence, content to be with each other for almost an hour. When she could wait no longer, Sofia asked him about the gazebo.

"I wanted a place where I could enjoy tonight with you, so I inquired of Mr. Alonzo if there was anything else in the castle's grounds besides the bushes and fountains. He told me about this gazebo and that he uses it every now and then, but rarely during the winter. After we spoke, I came here and placed a spell to keep people away from it until tomorrow, just in case. Then I added the flowers and the candles"

"Thank you, it is beautiful" He smiled in response, clearly satisfied "How did you get the flowers to play?" She asked, amusement in her voice.

"Granger told me the necessary spells"

"Hermione helped you?"

"Only with the spells and bringing you out here"

"How did she know when?"

"Who do you think caused the lights to go out and then flicker thru all those colors?"

"Oh… and how did it feel? Getting help from her?"

"Unpleasantly painful"

Sofia laughed. "Then I must thank you again, for going to such great lengths to do this for me. _Thank you"_

They grew silent again and Sofia laid her head on Draco's shoulder. As they continued to dance, she thought about everything he had said and done for her since she had returned to Hogwarts. She smiled to herself, thinking about how just a few days before she had considered ending things between them, or had doubted his feelings towards her. Without noticing, she laughed out loud and the sound of her laughter caused Draco to question her.

"I was just thinking about the past few months, the past few days, here and now… us…"

"And what is funny about it?"

"Nothing, I was laughing at myself for worrying so much and being so foolish about it"

"Do you still worry?"

_Only about your safety, she thought. _"No, you have more than proved yourself"

"I am glad you finally reached that conclusion" He said, halfway mocking her.

As the song came to an end, Sofia looked around once more. She didn't want to leave, but knew she had to. She had no idea what Hermione had told everyone to cover for her disappearance and she didn't want to risk raising anyone's suspicions.

"Draco, I… I think I should go" She had expected him to disagree, but he shook his head affirmatively.

"I know"

"Thank you for this amazing night"

Pulling her closer, he gazed into her eyes. Just a few months ago, he had planned on following his father's footsteps and becoming a Death Eater. He had given up on ever being happy and had come to terms with his dreadful future. Because of Sofia, he now realized just how much he had given up on. Because of Sofia, he had purpose in life. Because of Sofia, he had a small hope of a better future. She was his entire world, his best friend, his lover… and he wanted to make sure she knew just how truly important she was to him.

"_I love you"_ he whispered

Sofia's breathe caught in her throat and her eyes widened with surprised.

"I love you too Draco" She said, when she finally found her voice again.

He smiled, the first true smile Sofia had ever seen on his face. Then he briefly kissed her on the lips and walked away, back to the castle, leaving Sofia alone in the gazebo.

* * *

Sofia was uncertain of how long she stood alone, gazing at the trees, her mind racing. Draco Malfoy had told her he _loved_ her. Loved her! She contemplated pinching herself again, to make sure this wasn't a dream, but the previous three times had been enough. With great effort, she gathered herself and walked back to the Ball.

She didn't ask what excuse Hermione had given everyone for her absence, but her friends didn't seemed surprised when she walked back to them, nor did they question her. The only person who acted any different was Hermione, who looked at Sofia with a knowing expression. Sofia smiled at her friend.

When the Ball ended at midnight, several students were heard asking for the band to play one more song, but their efforts were in vain. Soon, people began to make their way back to their respective rooms. Sofia and Hermione remained outside the dining room a while longer, saying goodbye to their Beauxbatons friends, as they would be leaving earlier than the Hogwarts delegation the next morning. Once they made it to the hallway where their room was, they found it empty and dimly lit.

Hermione walked in first and when Sofia didn't follow, she walked back towards the door. Sofia was standing in the doorway, her hand on the doorknob, staring at Draco's room. She looked at Hermione and, with a smile, wished her friend goodnight before walking away.

She knocked on Draco's door and it wasn't long before he opened it. He looked surprise at first, but then opened the door further and beckoned her in.


	22. In this moment forever

Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

I hope you enjoy it! ( :

* * *

Morning arrived bringing heavy rain, lighting and thunder. Outside, the wind howled and heavy drops hit the castle's windows with ferocious strength. Inside his room, Draco rested against three pillows, halfway sitting up with both his hands behind his neck, in a relaxed manner. He enjoyed just listening to the rain, and Sofia's presence made it even better. He had been upset two mornings ago when he woke to find Sofia gone, not because she had left without a word, but because he did not have a chance to watch her sleep.

This time, he had managed to wake up before Sofia did, and he cherished the opportunity to watch her. He spent several minutes memorizing her face, taking full advantage of the chance to stare at her without interruptions. He watched the covers rise and fall, keeping pace with Sofia's breathing. She was curled up against his left side, her face over her right arm, which rested on Draco's upper body. Her left hand sat atop his chest. She looked so vulnerable and defenseless he felt the sudden urge to protect her from the world. It pained him to imagine the things she would have to face in the months to come, as the Dark Lord grew stronger.

He laughed to himself, his gloomy mood melting away, as he watched her left hand twitch again as if she was trying to catch something. Her hand had twitched a few times in the past few minutes and she had murmured something incomprehensible under her breath. Wondering what she was dreaming off, he lowered his left hand and began stroking her hair. She had let it down before going to bed, and it now fell over her shoulder and back, sprawling over the bed.

_I could stay awake just to hear you breathing, he thought, to watch you smile while you are sleeping, while you're far away dreaming… I feel so happy just lying close to you, feeling your heart beating*_

He shook his head, perplexed. Had he really just thought of himself as happy? It was such a foreign concept, and yet, happy was exactly how he felt with her. As he continued to watcher her, a particularly loud thunder startled Sofia, causing her to jump a few inches in the air. Draco watched as her eyes opened and her head snapped over her shoulder, towards the window.

"It's ok" he said gently "It was just a thunder"

Sofia's gaze shifted to him. Her eyes were still heavy from sleep and she seemed a little disoriented. She blinked a few times, a yawn escaping her lips. Then she stretched leisurely before placing her head back on his chest and looking over at him, her eyes meeting his.

"Morning" She whispered, a smile playing on her lips.

"Morning" He said, leaning over and kissing the top of her head.

They stayed in bed for several more minutes, enjoying each other's company. Finally, Sofia stood up and dressed. They had less than half an hour before they were to meet with everyone else and take a portal key back to Hogwarts and she still needed to shower and change. After making sure the hallway was empty, she made her way back to her room, a huge smile on her face.

* * *

As the Hogwarts delegation arrived at the Great Hall they were nearly deafened by screams and cheers coming from what it looked like every student, faculty and ghost in the castle. Professor Dumbledore welcomed and congratulated them, before stepping aside.

Soon, they were surrounded. Sofia found herself being patted in the back by several people and she lost count of how many times she had said "thank you" in the past minute alone. Finally, to their relief, professor Dumbledore began to speak.

"Students" He said, his voice amplified by a spell "Please let our delegation make their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. You will all have a chance to congratulate them later on"

The crowd began to make its way towards their respective tables and Sofia found herself being dragged with Hermione by a wave of fellow Gryffindor's. As breakfast progressed, the girls found themselves speaking more than eating, as they were being asked to tell all that had taken place. Sofia knew the same was happening with the other students and she wondered if they were feeling as overwhelmed as she was.

When mail arrived, the front page of the Daily Prophet bore a large picture of the entire Hogwarts team. The extensive article recounted the tournament and ended with quotes from all the teachers. The second page had quotes from the interviews with the students and a picture for each pair of them. Sofia stared at her picture with Draco for a very long time. Draco's famous smirk was plastered on his face, and Sofia had to admit he was doing a great job faking his usual impatience. Even though he looked so arrogant, Sofia decided to keep that picture of them, as it was the only one they had.

Towards the end of breakfast, professor Dumbledore stood up to address his students.

"Now that we are all here and have filled our bellies with this delicious food, I have an announcement. To celebrate Hogwarts victory and the accomplishment of the students who represented our school, we will have a feast for dinner. The awards and points given to the students by the tournament and the teachers will be presented to them at the end of the feast, in front of the entire school"

People began to make their way out of the Hall as they finished eating, animatedly discussing the feast later on and the noise in the Great Hall gradually decreased. Sofia and Hermione made their way to the common room with Harry, Ron and Ginny. They sat together by the fireplace, hoping to catch up uninterrupted but were soon joined by Seamus, Dean, Neville and other Gryffindor's who wished to hear more about the past few days.

As much as they enjoyed retelling the events of the competition, both Sofia and Hermione were thankful when they finally had a chance to escape the common room and go to their bedroom to unpack their trunks. Because they had eaten so much during breakfast and because dinner would be a feast, the trio, Sofia and Ginny made their way to Hagrid's house for the afternoon, skipping lunch entirely.

As always, visiting Hagrid proved to be memorable, as he proudly showed them the new creatures he had acquired for his classes. To Sofia and Hermione's relief, he asked only a few questions about the past few days, as professor McGonagall had kept professor Dumbledore informed and he had shared the news with all the other teachers.

After Hermione had made them tea, Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hagrid carried on a conversation about the upcoming quidditch games while Sofia and Hermione sat next to each other, writing very extensive letters to their parents.

When night arrived and the feast was about to begin, they made their way to the Great Hall together, stopping at the Owlery so the girls could send the letters away. Harry had offered Hedwig, as his owl hadn't delivered a letter in a while and would welcome a chance to do so. After watching Hedwig disappear in the horizon, Harry, Hermione and Sofia returned to where Hagrid, Ginny and Ron stood waiting and they resumed walking towards the castle.

* * *

The Great Hall was decorated much like the end of the year feast, except this time a huge banner with the Hogwarts crest was behind the teachers table and the remaining banners represented all four houses. A table had been placed next to Professor Dumbledore's podium and all the Excellence Awards, plus the trophy, rested on the table. The students' individual awards given by the tournament had remained with the respective students.

As dinner materialized in front of them, Sofia made a mental promise to stop by the kitchen and thank the house elves as soon as she had the opportunity. The amount and variety of food was beyond anything she had seen, although judging by the comments she overheard, this was not the first time the house elves outdid themselves.

When every student had ate their fair share of food and in Ron's case, a third helping of pudding, professor Dumbledore made his way to his podium, silence taking over the room.

"That was indeed a feast. I am afraid I will need bigger robes" He said with a wink, hands over his belly, causing a few students to laugh. Then, he congratulated the teachers and students on their performance once again.

"I would like to officially present our school with the Conscientia Trophy" He raised the trophy high above his head so that all present could see it. "I will personally place it in the Trophy room later tonight. Now, Ms. Granger, Mr. Wang, Mr. Wayne, Ms. Williams, Ms. Smith and Mr. Malfoy, Professors McGonagall, Snape and Flitwick, please join me"

Dumbledore waited until they had all joined him before continuing.

"The professors have rewarded their students for their hard work with awards and house points, which haven't been added yet. Each professor will now formally award the students"

He stepped to the side and Professor McGonagall took his place. She called Hermione and Daniel, gave them their Awards of Excellence in Transfiguration and a hundred and fifty points each. Then Professor Flitwick did the same for his students, followed by Professor Snape.

Once all points were added, Gryffindor took the lead, closely followed by Ravenclaw, as both houses had been awarded three hundred points. After another round of applauses Dumbledore dismissed the students.

* * *

Hermione had been devastated when she found out that all students who attended the tournament would not be required to make up any assignments for the classes they missed. They would however be required to learn the material covered, as they could be tested on it during their final exams.

While Harry and Ron played wizzarding chess, the girls were busy catching up and afterwards reading the boys' essays. Before going to bed, they spent the good part of an hour catching up and were one of the few left in the common room when midnight arrived.

* * *

Draco sighed for what it felt like the thousand time. He sat in a comfortable armchair in the Slytherin common room, Pansy across from him. She had bombarded him with questions, mainly concerning his interactions with Sofia during the tournament, a copy of the Daily Prophet on her lap. She was clearly jealous, but thankfully had no idea of the true nature of Draco's relationship with Sofia.

He finally grew tired of listening to her and, spotting Blaise across the room, made his way towards him. Behind Draco, Pansy sat with an infuriated look at being ignored.

"Girlfriend getting on your nerves?" Blaise mocked him

"She's not my girlfriend" Draco said, clearly annoyed.

"Have you tried telling her that? I don't think she knows it"

"I have told her several times, she knows it too well. She just chooses to ignore it"

"I know mate, she is heads over heels with you"

Draco grunted in response.

"Would you like me to jinx her?"

"No, if anyone will have that pleasure, it will be me"

"Whatever you say"

"So, anything interesting happened while I was gone?"

"Actually yes, two days ago…"

As Draco halfway listened to Blaise, he thought about Sofia and how he wished they could be together somewhere. Then, he realized he had yet to learn how to play the song Sofia had randomly chosen from the book she gave him for Christmas. Because it was a Muggle song, he had refrained from playing it at the Manor, choosing instead to play some of his favorite songs, one of which was the one he had played for Sofia last week.

He waited until Blaise was done talking, mumbled a quick response and left the common room. He arrived at the Room of Requirement a few minutes later, opened the book to the right page and began playing, completely unaware of how late it already was.

* * *

*"I don't wanna miss a thing" – Aerosmith


	23. Promises

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

**I apologize if this is too short of a chapter, but I hope you guys enjoy it. **

* * *

"Are you ready?" Draco asked Sofia.

From her spot in the couch, across the piano from him, she nodded yes. It had been almost two weeks since they returned from Italy and Draco had been practicing the song Sofia had randomly chosen every day since then. It had taken him less than a week to learn it, but he had wanted to practice for a while longer, before playing it to Sofia.

"I will give you a hint. It is a Muggle song"

Sofia nodded again. Draco found the look of concentration on her face very amusing, but as she had said, she was determined to guess this one. The more they had talked about it, the more they agreed on making this a habitual pastime between them. Sofia would randomly pick songs, Draco would learn them and Sofia would try to guess them. That would give Draco a chance to practice and learn new songs, while giving Sofia the chance to listen and to watch him play, as well as to test her knowledge. Her parents had always been fans of classical music and Sofia was very familiar with composers and their works.

"Ok. Here it goes"

At first, Sofia did not recognize the song, but the longer Draco played the more familiar it became, until it finally hit her. A big smile on her face, she simply sat and enjoyed the melody until Draco was done playing.

"I take it from your smile you know this song?" He said, smiling a little himself.

He had been smiling an awful lot lately, but how could he help it? He was happy with Sofia and her laughter was highly contagious.

"It's Moonlight Sonata, by Beethoven"

"Certainly"

"It is a very good song. My mum's favorite actually"

"Tell me again why you never learned how to play the piano? If you and your parents are such big fans, I would have expected you to"

"Guess I was just too busy reading and playing with my potions kit. I wish I had though…"

"I can teach you if you want"

"I'm not sure I would be good at it"

"I am sure you will never be as good as I am, but one can always try" he said teasing her, his signature smirk back.

"Just like you can always try to be better than me at potions, but we both know it will never happen"

"I do recall doing exceptionally well at the tournament"

"And I recall doing exceptionally better than you"

"It was a close call"

"Maybe… and anyways, I did promise Ron I would not be outperformed by a ferret" she said, without thinking.

As soon as she finished speaking, both hands flew over her mouth and she looked at Draco with an apologetic expression. Draco's expression grew darker for a moment before growing indifferent.

"Weasel told you about that huh?" He asked with a hint of anger

"Yes… He was very excited and provided a very eloquent description. It was very funny" She chuckled, halfway looking at Draco.

"I don't suppose he told you about the time he threw up snails for a couple of days, did he?"

"No"

"Well then, let me tell you" there was something very close to revenge in his voice and he stared past Sofia, lost in memories, before collecting himself.

"On our second year, he and Potter crashed a flying car in the Weeping Willow and Weasel broke his wand. One day, he got mad at me and tried to jinx me but because of his broken wand, which he had taped back together, the jinx backfired. He threw up a striking amount of snails for a while" Draco said, his smirk back again.

"That is disgusting" Sofia said.

"I find it quite funny"

"I am sure you do. And why was he trying to jinx you anyways?"

"I called Granger a… _mudblood_" He looked at Sofia with a cautious expression, as if expecting her to snap at him.

"You don't have to look at me like that. It happened over four years ago, no sense in me getting mad about it now. Not to mention that if I were to get mad at that, than I would have to get mad at everything else you have done in the past few years and… well… we wouldn't be here right now. I just prefer to ignore it"

"I don't think other people will forget it that easily" he said.

She shuddered, and they grew silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Draco" Sofia said, after several minutes had gone by. "Can I ask you something?"

"Always"

"Well, uh, what do you think will happen if, er, _when_ Harry defeats Voldemort?"

"You are not asking about the Wizarding community as a whole, are you?" Sofia moved her head from side to side. Draco sighed. "I don't know. I might not be alive by then"

"Don't say that!" Sofia said in a high pitched voice

"Why not? It is a very real possibility"

Sofia crossed the room and grabbed Draco by the elbow, pushing him until he stood up. He was much taller than her, but she stood facing him with such intensity Draco felt himself shrink under her gaze.

"Listen to me Draco Malfoy, and listen very carefully. You are NOT to die on me. I forbid you! When Harry defeats Voldemort, you and I will stand together, once and for all. Am I clear?"

Draco stared at Sofia, not sure how to respond. He obviously had no desire to die, and he wanted nothing more than to have her for the rest of his life, free of worries. But how could he promise something like that? Didn't she understand that eventually a war would break and he would be forced to fight? Didn't she realize the dangers he would face pretending to be under Voldemort?

As he continued to face her he realized that, behind the determination wall in her eyes, something else was showing. It was slowly growing, threatening to break her wall and wash past her defenses. It was, unmistakably, fear. He embraced her then, marveling at how perfectly her body fit into his. Her head barely reached his chin, so he had to bend his over to kiss the top of her head. Before long she began to cry and they stood in place, Draco holding her and trying to think of something he could say to comfort her.

"I will make you a deal" he said, when Sofia had stopped crying and she looked up to meet his eyes. "I will not die, if you promise me to do the same"

"That's hardly fair. I won't be in as much danger as you"

"True" He thought for a few minutes before continuing. "I won't die if you promise me not to die _and_ that you won't force me to spend much time with the Golden Trio" A small laugh escaped Sofia.

"You know they will be around some and that you will all have to get along, right? I don't want to choose between you or them"

"I know, but that doesn't mean I will tolerate hours of it, and neither will them I suppose"

"Fine, but it goes the same way with your friends. Especially Pansy"

"She is not my friend and I want to be near her as much as you do, which is to say, not at all. I doubt I will have any friends by the time everyone realizes I have switched sides anyways"

"You will have me" She said softly

"Which is all I will ever need"

He kissed her briefly and they stood together in place, arms wrapped around each other.

"And Draco…"

"Yes?"

"I need you to promise me you won't die afterwards either…at least not until we grow old together and all"

"And why would I?"

"You will have to face my _father_"


	24. A Slytherin is to blame

1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)

* * *

The Gryffindor Common Room was buzzing with excitement when Harry, Ron, Hermione and Sofia returned from a late study session at the Library on the last day of January. The greater part of the six year students' appeared to be gathered by the bulletin board, reading over a note and chatting animatedly. Being the tallest, Ron squeezed past the group and read the note.

"Apparition lessons, starting this Saturday" He said, returning to his friends.

The upcoming lessons seemed to be all the six year students' talked about for the remainder of the week.

When Saturday finally arrived Sofia and the trio made their way to the Great Hall, with all other students who were seventeen or would be turning seventeen soon. Although Sofia, Harry and Draco would not be seventeen by the time of the apparition test, they had decided to take the class nevertheless.

Once all students were present Wilkie Twycross, the Ministry wizard who would be teaching the class, began to address the crowd. He explained how the classes would be and what the students were to do. He also taught them the 3Ds of apparition: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation* which Hermione continually chanted to herself while others, like Ron, turned it into a big joke.

Sofia had tried to spin on spot a couple of times when she heard a loud bang. Turning around, she saw that two girls had fallen down while trying to turn and where struggling to get back up, blushing heavily. Looking around, she noticed the majority of the students hadn't moved at all and many had annoyed looks on their faces. Facing her wooden circle, she resumed her work, but after a few minutes she began to grow irritated. Nothing was happening and she felt incredibly silly turning on the spot like that.

Her aggravation seemed to be shared by a great number of other students, although Mr. Twycross was doing his best to encourage everyone. She heard Ron curse under his breath a couple of times and apparently so did Harry; he looked at her the second time Ron said it and both shared a smile. Next to them, Hermione was oblivious to the happenings around her.

By the end of the first lesson, very few people had managed to apparate inside the wooden circle, Hermione and Draco being two of them. A few had splinted themselves while the rest hadn't managed to move at all.

"That was so much harder than I had expected" Sofia said, as they made their way back to the Common Room.

"You just have to practice more" Hermione said "and remember, Destination, Determination, and Deliberation!"

Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione, who stared back at him angrily. Sensing an argument, Harry spoke before either of them had a chance to.

"When I apparated with Dumbledore a few months ago, it felt like I was being forced through a very tight rubber tube**. I much prefer flying"

"It has its advantages mate" Ron said.

"I know what you mean" Sofia said "The first time I apparated with my parents, I was so uncomfortable right afterwards I ended up getting sick" she shuddered at the thought. "I just hope I don't splinch myself. I've heard terrible stories about it from my dad, based on what he heard at the Ministry"

* * *

Hermione and Sofia sat together on the bleachers, a jar full of Blue flames Hermione had conjurated in between them. Even with the fire and layers of clothes, both girls were still a little cold, but neither wanted to go back inside.

In the field, the Gryffindor Quidditch team was halfway thru with their Wednesday night practice and they were training for the upcoming match against Hufflepuff. If they won, they would play for the Quidditch Cup and the entire team was resolute to be champions again.

Much like Hermione, Sofia preferred to watch Quidditch instead of play it, but she was an excellent flier. And because she was raised in the wizzarding world, she loved and understood Quidditch in ways Hermione never would.

While they watched the team practice, they worked on their assignments for Ancient Runes and practiced a new spell for Charms. After the team was done practicing, the girls joined Harry, Ron and Ginny as they walked back to the castle.

"Is that Malfoy?" Harry asked, looking over the lake where two figures stood by the shore.

It was too far, and dark, to be certain but one of the figures had silver blond hair just like Draco's. Although they couldn't hear them, it was clear the two people were arguing.

"What is the ferret doing out here this late?" Ron asked, eyeing them with curiosity.

"It must be something bad if they are sneaking out like this. I don't have my invisibility cloak… but maybe we could circle around and approach from the other side. They wouldn't be able to see us" Harry said, looking at Ron.

Hermione risked a quick glance towards Sofia, but it was clear she had no idea as to what Draco was doing. Having decided to try and eavesdrop, both boys turned away from the girls but they had barely taken a step when the second figure pushed past Draco and began walking towards the castle. Draco seemed to watch him go before turning around and walking towards the Forest, quickly disappearing in the darkness.

The boys continued to discuss Draco as they walked back to the Common Room, while Hermione and Ginny where talking about homework and Sofia walked in silence. She was upset she didn't have the chance to follow Draco as he walked into the Forrest and, no doubt, to his meadow.

When they arrived, Ginny and the boys went to take showers and Hermione sat with Sofia by the fireplace. They continued to practice spells until the boys came back and Ron challenged any of them to a chess match. Sofia accepted it and they played as Hermione read and Harry did homework.

To everyone's surprise, including hers, Sofia won the first match. Ron congratulated her before demanding a rematch which he ended up winning although Sofia was rapidly catching up and proved to be a greater challenge than he had expected.

Before they could start a third game, Lavender approached them and asked Ron to come with her. Ron seemed a little reluctant but finally agreed. They left the Common Room and still weren't back when Harry, Hermione and Sofia went to bed.

It was clear Ron's relationship was hurting Hermione but no matter how many times Sofia had tried talking to her about it, she never succeeded in getting more than a few words. Tonight however, as Harry was busy talking to Ginny, Hermione finally opened up to Sofia and they talked for a long time.

Like Harry, Ginny and the other Weasleys, Sofia wanted nothing more than to knock some sense into Ron but knew he had to get there on his own. She just hoped it wouldn't take him much longer, she hated how badly he was hurting Hermione.

* * *

Professor Snape was explaining the properties of the potion Sofia and Draco would be working on when the flames in the fireplace turned green and professor Dumbledore's head appeared in them.

After acknowledging the two students, he asked Snape to come to his office as soon as he had the chance. Then he was gone. Snape continued with his lesson and did not leave until satisfied that Draco and Sofia had understood how to leave the potions until next week, in case he wasn't back by nine.

Soon after he left, Sofia pulled out her wand and locked the door. She also casted a spell to keep others from hearing them.

"Who was the boy you were arguing with last night?"

"How do you…?"

"We saw you"

"Who is _we?"_

"Me, Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny. We were walking back to the castle after their Quidditch practice"

"He is a Slytherin, seventh year. You don't know him"

"Ok, and why were you arguing?"

"According to my father, his parents are desperately trying to redeem themselves to the Dark Lord so they have ordered his son to try and either hurt or kill Dumbledore. I realized he is the one behind the necklace that hurt Katie Bell and I confronted him about it"

"Aren't you worried he will try to hurt you?"

"He wouldn't dare"

"Right" Sofia said, sounding unconvinced.

"The Dark Lord found out and he was furious. I heard he tortured his parents for hours and ordered him to stop. I wasn't going to get involved but the Dark Lord needed someone he could trust to make sure the boy got the message. So, my father ordered me to take care of it and I need to keep my disguise, so I did"

"Then he is not going to try anymore?"

"So he says. We will see"

"Shouldn't uh, shouldn't we tell professor Dumbledore?"

"You can't be serious!"

"I am"

"We are not telling him or anyone else"

"Ok"

The sound of approaching footsteps put an end to their conversation. Sofia undid the spells and seconds later Professor Snape walked in. They worked in silence for the remainder of the hour and, still in silence, walked to the Room of Requirement together.

* * *

*Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

**Half-Blood Prince - Page 60 - British Hardcover

**I hope my idea of blaming another Slytherin for the attempts against Dumbledore didn't bother you too much. I'm trying to follow the books as closely as possible and in order to keep Ron's poisoning, I had to blame someone for the necklace and the poisoned drink ( : x**


	25. The Hospital Wing

Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Sofia had improved greatly during their second apparition class and by their third class, they each had successfully apparated inside the wooden circle at least once. Delighted as they were, both Sofia and Harry still disliked how uncomfortable apparating was.

That Saturday, after their fourth class was over, the trio and Sofia walked over to Hagrid's who greeted them with bottles of butterbeer, and they all toasted to Ron's upcoming birthday.

* * *

The Weasleys, Harry, Hermione and Sofia were gathered around Ron's bed at the Hospital Wing on the night of March 1st listening to Harry as he recounted what had happened.

It all started when Ron had eaten Chocolate Cauldrons that were meant for Harry. He was behaving very oddly and asking for Romilda. Harry then realized the cakes had a little of love potion on them and decided to take him to professor Slughorn, the potions master for the students fifth year and bellow, to get an antidote. After learning it was Ron's birthday, the professor had given them each a glass of mead and proposed a toast. Ron had taken a sip first and immediately collapsed. After recognizing he had been poisoned, Harry had made him swallow a bezoar, saving his life.

The poisoned mead had almost been a present to professor Dumbledore, according to Slughorn but he had decided to keep it to himself. As everyone else discussed possible names for the person trying to poison Dumbledore, Sofia did her best not to appear suspicious. She knew who had done it and having to hide it from everyone else was making her very uncomfortable. Eventually the conversation died out, much to Sofia's relief.

Suddenly, Ron began to stir a little and everyone drew closer to him. His lips began to move but for a while it was impossible to understand what he was saying.

"Her… m… herm… ione" He stuttered before growing quiet again.

All eyes turned to Hermione, who was sitting next to Ron, holding his hand. She kept her eyes on him, pretending to ignore everyone else, her cheeks glowing red.

During the following days, Lavender could be heard complaining about how Ron was never awake when she stopped by to see him and she often asked Harry as to why. Lavender had made the mistake to corner Sofia and ask her about Ron once but she quickly learned that Sofia, unlike Harry, was not incapable of being blunt and she approached her no more. The few times Harry, Hermione and Sofia had visited a very awaken Ron, both Harry and Sofia had told him he needed to stop pretending and take care of things with Lavender, but to no avail.

Lavender wasn't the only one bothering Harry. Mclaggen had approached himand demanded to play keeper in the upcoming game. Harry had no other option but to allow him to play much to his and, after one training session, the entire team dissatisfaction.

* * *

Ron was sitting in bed at the Hospital Wing, propped up against his pillows, trying to catch a glimpse of the Quidditch game and maybe see who was wining when the doors bust open and Dumbledore came in, Harry's unconscious form floating next to him, followed by Sofia and Hermione.

While Madam Pomfrey took care of Harry, the girls sat by Ron and told him how Mclaggen had hit Harry with a Bludger, cracking his skull. The three of them spent the following minutes waiting anxiously for Madam Pomfrey to step out from behind the curtains where she was currently tending to Harry.

By the time Ginny and others from the team arrived at the Hospital Wing, Harry was awake, and furious. His anger grew even more when he learned that they had lost, even though they still had a chance to win the Cup. He cut Mclaggen from the team without a second thought.

* * *

With the boys at the Hospital Wing and unable to attend classes, the girls spent several hours every day catching them up on homework and the material covered. When she wasn't with them, Sofia was at tutoring or at the Room of Requirement with Draco. She had decided to accept his offer to teach her how to play the piano and they dedicated a couple of hours every night to the lessons.

A few days passed and the boys were released from the Hospital Wing. That night, when Sofia arrived at the Common Room she could tell something had happened. People were murmuring to each other and glancing at either Ron or Lavender, who sat on different ends of the room. Lavender's eyes were red and puffy from crying, while Ron's ears were bright red and Hermione had a polite yet happy expression on her face.

Sitting next to Harry, Sofia pretended not to notice. Later, when the room was almost empty save for Sofia, the trio and a couple of older students, Sofia quietly asked Harry what had happened. According to him, Lavender had ambushed Ron when he came back from dinner and they had argued, a heated argument that led to the end of their relationship.

* * *

Although things were very awkward and uncomfortable at the girls' dormitory because of Lavender, as the days passed by and turned into weeks the friendship between Ron and Hermione gradually went back to normal.

The passing days brought them closer to the end of the semester and the amount of work given by the teachers increased exponentially. Aside from school work, Sofia and the trio were also very busy with other things. As Harry still used the Half Blood Prince's book during potions, Hermione had not given up yet on finding whom he or she was, making several additional trips to the library whenever she found the time. Ron and Harry were busier than normal with more Quidditch practices than normal, while Sofia still had tutoring with Snape and piano lessons with Draco. Harry was also busy trying to obtain a memory from Slughorn and attending meetings will Dumbledore.

Busy as they were, the remainder of March and the month of April flew by in a haze, safe for the day Hagrid had written them to inform that Aragogue had died and the day of her funeral, when harry had finally obtained the true memory from Slughorn.

May arrived and the match for the Quidditch cup was only days away. The Gryffindor team had finished practice earlier that night and had already left the field but Harry had stayed behind. He flew alone, thinking about the upcoming match and revising his tactics for the game. When it grew too dark for him to see, he put away his broom and walked to the castle.

On his way up, he heard faint cries coming from the girls' bathroom. He rolled his eyes at the thought of Moaning Myrtle crying again but froze in place when he heard a male voice coming from the bathroom. Curious, he walked towards the bathroom. The door was open and he carefully walked in. What he saw made him freeze in place.

A boy was leaning on the sink, looking down and breathing heavily. Next to him, Myrtle was speaking something Harry couldn't hear. With one final breath, the boy looked up at his image in the mirror. It was Draco Malfoy. Harry was about to turn and leave when Draco noticed his reflection on the mirror. Before Harry could draw his wand he had to dodge out of the way as Draco sent a spell his way.

While they fought each other, Myrtle could be heard pleading with them to stop but neither of them did. Remembering a spell he had seen in his potions book, Harry stepped away from where he was taking cover and pointed his wand at Draco.

"Sectusempra" Harry screamed.

The spell hit Draco causing him to collapse. As Harry approached him Myrtle began to scream even louder and Harry's heart stopped when he saw Malfoy. Long cuts were spread around Draco's chest, blood running heavily from them. He was growing paler with every passing second and his breath was growing shallow.

The sound of footsteps caused Myrtle and Harry to look away from Draco and towards the door as Snape came in, wand in hand. He worked on Draco's cut while Harry watched, his panic growing.

Draco didn't move while Snape worked on him. He was trying very hard not to slip into unconsciousness but he was rapidly losing that battle. As his last grip on reality gave away, he saw Sofia's face smiling at him before blackness engulfed him.

* * *

* Sectusempra scene: Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 24, 488-489


	26. Into each life, some rain must fall

**Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.**

* * *

Rain was falling hard as Sofia walked towards the Forbidden Forrest, but she didn't seem to notice it. For the first time since Draco had told her the castle could be a little crowded sometimes, she truly understood what he meant. The past few weeks, and especially the day Draco had almost died, weighed heavily on her and she needed to get away for a while.

First Ron, then Harry, then Draco. The three boys had amounted to countless hours spent on the Hospital Wing and, with Draco specially, an overwhelming and constant sense of worry. To keep herself from losing her mind, Sofia had focused on her school work with a renewed intensity that, in turn, slightly drew her away from all her friends except Hermione. She was the only one who wanted to spend as many hours studying and she was also the only one who knew about Draco, and thus truly understood Sofia's behavior. To everyone else, Sofia and Hermione were purely worried about the final exams.

Sofia had barely talked about what happened to Draco, choosing instead to bottle up all her fears and worries but as the days passed and Draco's health improved, so did her mood. She had even finally forgiven Harry, even though he never knew she had been angry with him.

Sofia arrived by the entrance to the meadow and for a while she simply stared at the intertwined trees. With a heavy sigh, she forced herself to concentrate on the spell that would grant her entrance. Draco had told her the spell months ago and she had never used it herself, as she always accompanied him to the meadow. After uttering the spell, she watched as the trees moved and then walked in. Her first thought was of how empty the place was without Draco and she almost turned to leave. With great effort, she continued walking, past the enormous tree and the many blankets underneath it, until she reached the edge of the lake where she stood gazing at the water, lost in her thoughts.

She remembered, vividly, that night. She remembered fighting to keep control of her emotions as Harry told them what had happened and how she had left the Common Room for her dormitory as soon as she had had the chance.

* * *

_She was lying in bed, all curtains drawn around her. Her heart was still beating fast and her brain was refusing to believe what Harry had said. She didn't cry, whether from the shock or because she rarely cried, she couldn't say. Several minutes passed, and then she heard someone coming in and calling her name but she ignored whoever it was._

_"Sofia" The voice said again._

_After a moment she realized it was Hermione, but she still didn't respond._

_"Sofia" Hermione said again, sounding closer now "I have a message to you… from professor Dumbledore. It's about, uh… black petal guy"_

_Sofia pulled the curtains aside, almost tearing them from the bed and stood up to face Hermione. _

_"What it is?"_

_"Professor Dumbledore wants you to go to his office immediately. Here is the password" She handed Sofia a folded piece of parchment. _

_Grabbing the paper from Hermione, she nearly ran towards the door and was about to step out when she froze in place. Turning around to face Hermione she whispered "Thank you". Hermione simply nodded and Sofia left. _

_When she arrived at the Gargoyle, Sofia read the password from the paper. The moment she finished speaking, the parchment caught on fire, destroying itself and startling Sofia. On her way up, she could hear voices but she couldn't understand what they were saying until she was standing right outside the door. _

_She recognized the first voice as professor Snape's. He sounded angrier than Sofia had ever imagined capable, even though his voice was barely louder than a whisper. The other was professor Dumbledore's. She did her best to ignore what they were saying while she waited for them to finish their conversation, but as Snape told Dumbledore about Draco's condition when he had found him and how Draco had almost died, Sofia couldn't take it anymore. She knocked and after a few seconds, Professor Dumbledore told her to come in. _

_With one last look at Dumbledore, Snape walked past Sofia and left. Dumbledore gestured with his hand for Sofia to sit down, and she did. For what it felt like a very long time, neither of them said anything as Dumbledore watched Sofia with his piercing blue eyes. _

_"Would you like to go see him?" Dumbledore said._

_"I, I don't know" Sofia said, looking down._

_"Are you afraid of what you will see?"_

_Sofia's head shot up and she locked eyes with Dumbledore again. Was it really that obvious that she was terrified of what she might see?_

_"Is he awake?"_

_"I am afraid he isn't. Mr. Malfoy has lot a considerable amount of blood and even after Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey worked on him, he is still very weak"_

_"Is he going to recover?"_

_"Madam Pomfrey is confident that he will"_

_Sofia nodded, looking down again. Professor Dumbledore watched her as she struggled to remain in control of her emotions and when she finally looked up again, the same wall he had seen on Draco's eyes so many times before was also in hers. _

_"I want to see him" She said._

_They walked to the Hospital Wing in silence, as professor Dumbledore had asked Sofia to cast a Disillusionment Charm on herself. Before going in, Professor Dumbledore said in a low voice._

_"I have things to discuss with Madam Pomfrey and visiting hours are over, so do not worry about being seen. You may undo the charm inside and I will let you know when it is time to leave"_

_"Yes sir"_

_Sofia approached Draco's bed with care. He was very pale, but otherwise fine. She sat by his side, one of her hands resting over his, and watched him sleep. She didn't cry or speak, and was in the same position when Professor Dumbledore approached her. _

_"It is time to go Ms. Smith"_

_They walked outside together and Sofia was about the cast the charm again, but Dumbledore stopped her._

_"There is no need" He said. _

_He resumed walking and Sofia followed him. It wasn't long before she realized he was walking towards the Gryffindor Common Room._

_"Thank you for letting me see him, Professor"_

_"You are welcome. And thank you, for helping Mr. Malfoy"_

_"Pardon me?"_

_"Mr. Malfoy has lived in darkness for far too long" He said "You are the light he so desperately needed"_

_"I, uh…"_

_"You have given him the encouragement and strength to turn away from all he has always known. Don't underestimate your importance to him"_

_"But he may die because of me"_

_"Never _because_ of you, but _for _you. And most importantly, for himself" _

_"It doesn't matter why. He's always in great danger because of our situation"_

_"Oh but it does matter Ms. Smith, it matters very much. To die fighting for those we love and for what we know to be right is better than to die for a lie or someone we hate"_

_They were approaching the Fat Lady now so Sofia stopped, not wanting the portrait to hear them._

_"What should I tell my friends, when they ask me where I have been?"_

_"You can tell them you have been with me. And if they ask why, you may tell them we have been discussing your transfer from Beauxbatons"_

_"Yes sir" Thanking him again, Sofia turned towards the Fat Lady and began walking her way._

_"And Ms. Smith?"_

_"Yes professor" Sofia said, turning to face Dumbledore._

_"Don't be too harsh on Harry. He might hate Draco Malfoy, but he never intended to kill him"_

* * *

The feeling of something hot on her cheeks startled Sofia and she pressed both hands to her face. Warm tears were flowing down. The minutes passed and she continued to cry, standing by the lake, arms around herself. She tried to stop crying a couple of times, but to no avail, she had reached a breaking point after holding her emotions inside for so long.

She heard a faint sound from behind her, and then silence. Thinking she had imagined the sound, she focused her attention on the water once more and was about to lose herself in her memories when she heard the distinct sound of footsteps walking her way. She stopped crying, adrenaline kicking in. Very carefully, she reached for her wand in her pocket and kept a firm hold on it. She could see someone from the corner of her eyes but the rain made it impossible to see who it was.

"There is no need for your wand" The voice said "It's only me"

She took a deep breath and slowly let it out as his voice washed over her sending chills down her spine. He was here, which meant he was well and yet, she did not turn to face him, or otherwise acknowledged him. The thought of what could have been was still fresh on her mind.

"Let go of your wand Sofia. Everything is fine"

"Fine?" She said, with a hint of emotion in her voice "You almost died. Everything is _not_ fine"

"Exactly, _almost_, but I didn't. I am here now"

When she didn't move, he took a few steps closer, until he was standing right behind her. He placed a hand on top of her hand holding the wand and slowly pulled it away.

"Why were you crying?" She asked

"What?"

"Harry said he saw you crying before… you know"

Draco was silent for a while, trying not to explode with anger. Not only had Potter seen him crying and almost killed him, he had also told his friends about it. He was going to make Potter pay.

"I don't want to talk about" he finally said and the irritation in his voice was so strong Sofia decided to let it go, if only for now.

"Ok"

When she didn't move or say anything else, Draco wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I was so scared" She said "I thought I was going to lose you… for good…"

"But you didn't, and you won't. I made you a promise, remember?" He said tightening his grip on her, the thought of her suffering upsetting him. She nodded.

"Why did you come here?" He asked her.

"It can get crowded in the castle…"

Draco chuckled and Sofia smiled a little.

"I was under the impression you didn't believe that"

"Turns out I was wrong. How did you know I was here?"

"I have casted spells to warn me of people or creatures that might find a way in. Nothing ever has, so I presumed it was you"

"I am sorry I didn't come meet you at the Hospital Wing. I didn't know you were getting out today"

"Perhaps it was best that you didn't"

"Why?"

"Blaise was there"

"And how do you feel?"

"A little chilly, but fine"

"Chilly, why? I don't … oh!"

Turning around to face him Sofia noticed he was soaked just like her.

"Draco Malfoy! You should not be out in the rain, you can get sick! What were you thinking?!"

Draco let himself be pushed by Sofia towards the tree, while she fussed about how irresponsible he was and how he was going to end up back at the Hospital. Once under the shade, Sofia dried them both with a spell and they sat together, his back against the tree trunk and hers against his chest, enjoying a cup of tea.

As dinner time approached and the rain stopped, they made their way back to the castle. Stopping at the edge of the Forrest, they kissed goodbye before Sofia left. Draco stayed and waited until she had disappeared in the distance before walking back as well.

* * *

*** Chapter title is a quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow**


	27. My love

**1. Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.**

**2. Please leave me reviews! I would love to know what you think and I am open to suggestions :)**

**_I'm_**_** so very sorry it has taken me so long to update the story. I've been super busy with work and my internship! And, doing some school work (even tho classes wont start till the 12th -.- )**_

_**This is a short chapter, but the next one will be really good! I hope you enjoy them both! Ill try to have it up by early next week. Also, I have only a few more chapters before we reach the end of the journey, which makes me quite sad. But, i'm looking forward to writing the next chapters. Please bare with me, and THANK YOU for taking the time to read my fan fiction! **_

* * *

"Are you sure you need to go?" Sofia asked, from behind a pile of books.

She and Hermione had been in the library studying for the past few hours, barely able to see each other over the books piled in between them. Finals were but a few weeks away and the girls were dedicating even more time to their studies.

"Yes" Hermione sighed. "Me and Ron must do our rounds… I'll meet you in the Common Room later? Perhaps we can study some more before going to bed"

"Okay"

"Are you staying?"

"Yes, I have a few more chapters to read for Muggle Studies"

"I'll see you later then!"

Hermione left and Sofia looked down on the book in front of her. With great effort, she began reading again. After reading over the same passage four times, she sighed with annoyance.

"It's no bloody use!" She said out loud, pushing the book away.

"I think you need a break"

Sofia jumped at the sound of Draco's voice. Unknown to her, he had sat across from her, on the same seat Hermione had sat before. He had pushed the books aside so that he could see Sofia, and he was leaning against the back of the chair in a relaxed way.

"Draco! What are you doing? Someone could see you, see us!" She said, looking around for possible onlookers.

"I checked, there is no one around. And as for what I am doing, I came to ask you if you would like to accompany me to the Room of Requirement. You can play some more, it will help you relax"

Sofia looked around the table, biting her lips in uncertainty.

"Let's go" She said after a few seconds.

With Draco's help, they quickly returned all the books to the shelves. While Draco put the last few books away, Sofia packed her book bag. As agreed, she left first, and Draco followed a few minutes later.

* * *

Draco was staring out of the windows, looking over the grounds and lost in thoughts. Behind him, Sofia was practicing a song. As much as he tried not to think about his father's letter, he could not forget it. What he had read on the letter had caused him to break down. In an effort not to been seen, he had decided to hide in the girls bathroom, which turned out to be a bad idea. First he was bothered by that pathetic ghost, and then Potter saw him.

Sofia had already questioned him as to why he had been crying and although he had told her he did not wish to talk about, he knew she would eventually bring it up again. He wanted to tell her, but he couldn't for the time being. He would be able to tell her soon enough, but it would be too late by then. He swallowed hard, fear threatening to engulf him again… and his thoughts were disturbed by a loud bang.

Turning around, he saw Sofia hit the notes on the piano with both her hands, in a gesture of frustration. She rested her elbows on the piano and began to massage her temples, murmuring in rapid French under her breath.

"What is it?" He asked, walking towards her and placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I can't get it right!"

"Will you like me to help you?"

"Yes, please"

"Here" he said, pulling her from the piano stool.

He sat down on the stool, and patted his lap. Sofia smiled and sat on his lap.

"Place your hands on top of mine and hold tight"

Sofia did as he said and when Draco was satisfied, he began to play. As he did, he told Sofia to feel the melody and how his hands moved from one key to the next. Sofia nodded, enjoying the feeling of playing with Draco. They played together for another hour, until Sofia had to leave.

Turning around to face Draco, she wrapped both arms around his neck and kissed his lips.

"Thank you Draco"

"You are welcome"

"May I ask you something?"

"Yes"

"Why are you so distracted lately?"

"I… I have much to think about"

"Like what?"

"The future"

They fell silent as the weight of his words hit them. Sofia could tell by his tone of voice she should not pressure him any further, so she forced a smile on her lips, kissed him again and left.

Draco watched her go, his own frustration growing. He hated not being able to tell her, and he hated even more how that day, just a few weeks away, would change everything.

* * *

Back in her Common Room, Sofia did her best to focus on the charms she was reviewing with Hermione and Ron. Harry had left with Ginny earlier and still hadn't returned. She watched as Hermione showed Ron the proper way to wave his wand in the difficult pattern necessary for a particular spell, knowing she had yet to master it as well. Pushing thoughts of Draco away, she joined her friends and began practicing.

Later that night, after tossing and turning, Sofia got up and wrapping her cloak around her, left the room. She left the Gryffindor tower and walked absentmindedly until she reached the bottom of the stairs that led to the astronomy tower.

The warm air hit her face as she stepped outside and she welcomed it. She walked towards the edge of the tower and placed both elbows on the parapet, chin resting on her hands. She began to relax as she breathed the fresh air and watched the stars. Months ago, she had stood in this same place with Draco. She had made the decision to forgive him then, a decision that changed everything. She could tell things were about to change once more, but she feared that this time, it wouldn't be a good thing.

After letting her mind wonder, she took a deep breath and shook her head. The time for uncertainty and fear was gone, she needed to keep control.

"I want to be with you Draco Malfoy… whatever it takes" She whispered to the moon. "Be strong, for troubling times are ahead… _my_ _love"_


	28. Things Fall Apart

Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

**I hope you enjoy it! ( :**

* * *

Draco had been odd for a few days now, and Sofia could tell he was hiding something important from her. As she sat in the common room with Ginny, Hermione and Ron, her thoughts alternated between Draco's behavior and where Dumbledore had taken Harry. She was about to lose her mind.

Harry had left them the Felix Felicis potion to take among themselves, in case something bad happened, and she couldn't help but think that Draco knew something was about to happen as well. Sofia, Ginny, Hermione and Ron had one of the Galleons used during their fifth year for the DA meetings each, in case they needed to communicate while apart, and they sat in silence tense and worried as the minutes dragged by. All around them, people carried on habitually, oblivious to whatever was coming their way.

Several uncomfortable minutes had passed when an owl hit its claws on the window, causing them to jump. Sofia recognized the owl as Draco's and hurriedly opened the window to retrieve the letter. As her eyes met Hermione's, she knew her friend had recognized the owl as well. Ginny and Ron looked at her with curiosity, but she just shrugged and sat down to read the letter.

_**Meet me at the entrance hall, NOW!**_

"I'll be right back" She said, getting up again, her heart beating fast. "Hermione, can I have a word with you outside?"

The two girls left, and once away from the Fat Lady, she handed the letter to Hermione, whose expression grew even gloomier after reading it.

"This doesn't look good" she said, looking alarmed.

"I am going to meet him"

"Are you sure it is safe for you to go?"

"I am not, but what choice do I have?"

"Do you think he knows something?"

"I have suspected he does for a while now…"

"Ok, but please be careful Sofia"

"You too"

Hermione nodded and went back to sit with Ron and Ginny while Sofia ran down stairs to meet Draco.

* * *

As soon as Sofia came close to Draco, he casted a Disillusionment charm, grabbed her by the wrist and walked towards the double doors that lead outside.

"Draco, you are hurting me!"

He continued to walk, but softened the grip on her wrist. Sofia gave up on talking to him after he ignored her questions and allowed herself to be dragged by Draco. A few minutes later, they arrived at the meadow in the Forbidden Forest. He did not let go of her until they were both under the massive tree. Without a word, he finally let go of her wrist and started pacing around.

"Draco, you have to tell me what's going on. You are scaring me" She watched him as she rubbed her wrist. She had never seen him this nervous before. "If you don't tell me what's going on _right now_, I am leaving"

"NO" He screamed, finally looking up "You can't go back there… it's too dangerous"

"What are you talking about?" She asked, horror feeling her inside.

"I can't tell you why, you just have to trust me"

"I do trust you, but my friends are there and I am _not_ going to leave them behind like this"

She began to make her way out of the meadow but Draco grabbed her again.

"Sofia, _please_"

His pleading tone and the look on his eyes stopped Sofia on her tracks. Panic was beginning to engulf her.

"Draco, what is going on?"

Draco knew he shouldn't tell her but he had made a promise to himself that he would keep her safe. No matter the cost, he had to make sure she did not return to the castle until it was over. With a heavy sigh, he began.

"Snape has fixed the vanishing cabinet in the room of requirement. The other set is at Borgin and Burkes and they form a passage. He is bringing my father, aunt, Greyback and a handful of other Death Eaters to the castle tonight. Voldemort has ordered Snape to kill Dumbledore, and the Death Eaters will be here to ensure that he succeeds and escapes. I am to leave with them once it's over"

Sofia's breathe caught in her throat and she felt as if the ground beneath her was no more. Her brain was working hard to process all she had heard.

"You are going with them?" She said, her brain still struggling to comprehend what he had said.

"I have to" He watched as she began to shake her head from side to side, taking a step away from him "Sofia listen to me, I have to go with them because now is not the right time to turn away. No matter what happens from now on, I need you to know I will be just _pretending_! When the right moment comes, I will be by your side, once and for all"

"How long have you known about this?" She asked.

"Since the day Harry attacked me."

"Why didn't you say something?" Sofia screamed "We could have warned Dumbledore, we could have avoided whatever is about to happen!"

"My father forbade me, with a spell, to tell anyone about it"

"And how were you able to tell me just now?"

"The spell was only to last until they arrived at Hogwarts"

Sofia stared at Draco, fighting the haziness that had enveloped her brain and trying to stay calm as the realization of what was happening finally hit her. A sudden warm pang in her front pocket was enough to clear her mind and she reached for the Galleon to read the message. Her heart sank even more as she did, it read _HELP! _

Without another thought, Sofia lunched past Draco nearly knocking him to the ground. She could hear him screaming her name and trying to stop her with spells as he ran after her, but she blocked his spells effortlessly. By the time she emerged from the Forest, she had cuts and bruises from the trees, branches and roots but she continued to run, barely noticing her injuries.

As she approached the doors to the castle, she saw a small group of people gathering around a figure on the school's ground. With no time to stop, she ran inside the castle and began the long climb upstairs. On her way up, she almost got ran over by Snape, Bellatrix and two other Death Eaters, running in the opposite direction. A few seconds later Harry ran past her, clearly after them.

The sound of screams guided her to the bottom of the stairs that led to the Astronomy tower. She scanned the scene with her eyes, urgently looking for her friends. When she found Hermione and Ron, she casted spells on the Death Eaters blocking the way out, allowing them to come her way. Once clear, they made their way downstairs to help Harry.

As they reached the third floor, Hermione missed a step and Ron had to stop and catch her. As she looked up towards Sofia, she let out a deafening scream. Turning around Sofia saw a Death Eater, a few steps away from her, wand pointed right at her chest.

"Avada K…"

Sofia had no time to fight back but someone ran into her, pushing her out of the way and the spell hit the stairs behind her, barely missing Ron and Hermione. Sofia and the other person collapsed to the ground and as they fell, Sofia caught a glimpse of his blond hair and knew it was Draco. He tried to get up quickly but he wasn't fast enough and before he could attack, the Death Eater pointed his wand at Draco.

"Avada Ke…"

From the ground, Sofia pointed her wand at the Death Eater before he could utter his spell.

"Obliviate" She screamed, her spell hitting the Death Eater on the face with enormous force, sending him flying down the hallway.

"I _told_ you it was dangerous to stay here!" Draco said, looking angrier than she had ever seen.

After helping Sofia to get up, he turned his attention to Hermione. Looking her straight in the eye, he said "Make sure she's safe Granger." It wasn't an order, but a request.

He looked back at Sofia, his expression softening ever so slightly. Leaning in towards her, he whispered in her ear,

"_I love you_. Please be safe" Then, he kissed her on the forehead, turned away and left.

Sofia, Hermione and Ron didn't move or speak for what felt like an eternity. Ron had a baffled expression, Hermione was staring at the hallway where the Death Eater laid sprawled and Sofia was staring at the hallway Draco had just disappeared into. Finally, the thunderous sound of explosions and screams coming from upstairs brought them back to reality, and they continued to run downstairs, hoping it wasn't too late to help Harry.

* * *

The title of this chapter was based on the title of a novel by Chinua Achebe

** References made to Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Chapters 26-30.

**The end is near! And I'm not sure how i feel about it! Its going to be so weird not writing this story anymore! All the remaining chapters are mostly done, I just have to work on them some more.**

This chapter was probably one of my favorites to write, because I just loved the opportunity it gave Draco to show his love for Sofia and how far he will truly go for her safety. I hope you liked it as well!

Thank you for reading!


	29. And everything changes

Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

* * *

It was the morning of Dumbledore's funeral, and Sofia sat next to Hermione, looking at the lake. Sitting on the other side of Hermione were Ron, Harry and then Ginny. She could hear someone in the distance addressing the crowd, but she could not bring herself to pay attention to him. Her mind kept going back to the events of the past couple of days.

Harry had been unusually quiet after he had told them everything that took place from the moment he and Dumbledore left the castle, to the moment they met by Dumbledore's lifeless body. All he could think and talk about (when he did talk) was finding the last horcruxes and defeating Voldemort. The only exception being when he and Ron had approached Sofia, as she sat by the fireplace with Hermione the night before, to question her about Draco.

Ron had clearly told his friend what he had seen and both wanted to know, in Ron's words, "What on bloody hell was that about?" Sofia told them the same story she had told Hermione and everything that had happened between them since she came back to Hogwarts, leaving out their most private moments.

* * *

_"If I hadn't seen him save her with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed a word you just said" Ron said, shaking his head as if trying to convince himself he actually did believe her._

_"And you have known about this since December?" Harry asked Hermione. She shook her head as a response._

* * *

Sofia wondered where Draco was, and if he was ok. The Death Eater he had saved Sofia from obviously didn't remember what Draco had done and was securely locked away, but Sofia couldn't help fearing for his safety.

After the funeral was over, they followed Harry to their favorite tree by the lake. Sofia's parents approached them just as Harry turned around to face his friends. Caleb shook his hand and Olivia gave him a hug.

"Be strong Potter, thought times are ahead. Please remember you can always count on us, no matter what." Caleb said.

He shook the hands of everyone else present before turning to his daughter

"Sofia, it's time to go. I will give you a few minutes to say goodbye"

Sofia turned to face her friends, a tight not forming in her throat.

"I will see you at the wedding. I am going to miss all of you. Please be careful"

As she turned to leave, a single tear ran down her face but she wiped it away as she approached her parents. Together, they walked to the castle's gates and once out of the castle's protection, apparated back to their house.

* * *

It had been hours since they had arrived home, but Sofia was still curled up in a ball on her bed. Her trunk lay unopened and unpacked nearby, with the exception of the black roses, which sat on her windowsill. Mia had offered to unpack her trunk but Sofia had refused it and asked to be left alone. She felt a profound sense of loss and the tears were flowing down her face as she thought about the past year at Hogwarts, and the dangers that awaited them all. It was going to be hard without Harry, Ron and Hermione. And it was going to be even harder without Draco.

Later on that night Sofia's parents came in to check on her, Olivia holding a tray with food. Knowing this was a battle she could not win, Sofia took the tray from her mother and walked towards her desk. As she did, Olivia sat on her bed and Caleb leaned against her window.

"I was right to suspect Snape" Caleb said, mainly to himself, still gazing out of the window "Dumbledore trusted him, and it was his downfall… That Malfoy kid is no better, escaping with Snape and the Death Eaters… What a coward! I always knew he was just like his father and…"

The rest of his sentence was lost, as Sofia dropped the tray she was holding.

"Don't you _DARE_ talk about Draco like that" She said, turning to face her father.

Caleb and Olivia gaped at their daughter, at lost for words and completely taken back. Breathing hard, Sofia continued.

"Draco is one of the _bravest_ person that I know, and for your information, the _only_ reason why I am still alive"

"Did you just call the Malfoy kid _Draco?" _Her father asked.

"What do you mean he's the only reason why you are still alive?" Olivia asked, visibly shaken.

Sofia looked at both her parents, took a deep breath and sat down.

"Mum, dad… I think it is about time I tell you something I've been hiding for a very, very long time. I would sit if I were you dad, this is going to take a while"

Caleb walked over to where his wife was and sat down next to her.

Once they were both seated, Sofia began. She told her parents more than she had told the trio, but she still kept Draco's secrets and all their intimate moments (she was most definitely not about to tell her dad what had happened in Italy) to herself.

As she spoke, her parent's facial expressions alternated between surprise, shock, anger, and almost every other possible emotion. A few times, Caleb seemed as if about to interrupt Sofia but Olivia gently squeezed his hand and he remained silent. As Sofia told them about the night Dumbledore died and how Draco had saved her life, Olivia began to cry. Caleb gently wrapped his arms around her, but his eyes never left his daughter's.

"and after he saved me, he left. I haven't seen or heard from him ever since … and I doubt that I will anytime soon" She added, unable to hide her pain.

Silence followed her last words. She watched her parents, waiting for their reaction and was astonished Caleb hadn't exploded yet.

"I can't believe you have been running away! With the Malfoy kid! Without our permission!" Caleb finally said. "I should ground you for the rest of your life! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING SOFIA? He could have taken you to a trap! He could have hurt you, he co…"

"That is _enough_ Caleb. Didn't you listen to what your daughter said? Draco Malfoy was, is, her friend and he took care of her. He _saved her life_ Caleb. How can you be so mad?"

Under his wife's stern gaze, Caleb sat down, but he still looked furious. Olivia held his gaze for a moment before turning to face her daughter.

"Sofia, I agree with your dad that you shouldn't have run away with Malfoy like that. I know you trust him and that you were careful, but as your mother I cannot approve of it. However, the time to ground you or punish you is long gone. Even when doing something we wouldn't approve of, you were considerate and careful… we raised you well"

"Thanks mum! And dad… please… just please don't be mad!"

"You can't expect me to be fine after all you just told us! He is a Malfoy, there is darkness in him" Caleb said, rising and walking towards the window again.

"Every person has a dark side. What defines a person with good character is not a spotless life of constant kindness, smiles and even temperament. But rather, it's the yearning to learn from your mistakes, applying it, making amends for them and choosing not to repeat them. That defines good character*. And I believe Draco is doing just that, learning from his mistakes, making amends, trying to be a better person. Why can't you see that?"

Caleb mumbled something neither Sofia nor Olivia could understand. Minutes passed and when it became clear he wasn't going to say anything, Olivia broke the silence.

"What happens now?"

"We wait… but I don't know for how long. I don't know when he will decide that it is the right moment to turn his back on the Dark Lord. It can be weeks from now, or it can be years… I just don't know"

"And you are willing to wait for him Sofia?"

"Yes. I doesn't matter how long it takes, I'm not giving up on Draco"

"Do you love him?" Caleb asked, still looking out of the window.

His question caught Sofia off guard and she felt herself blush.

"I, uh… well, yeah"

"And you are dating him?"

"Yes, I am… I mean was" she said, an edge of pain returning to her voice.

"My daughter, dating a Malfoy…" Caleb said, shaking his head. "I am going to my office"

Caleb left the room with another word, avoiding his wife and daughter's eyes, leaving Sofia staring at the door with a sinking feeling. She always knew it would be hard for her dad to understand and accept Draco and she had always known it wouldn't be easy telling her parents about it but she couldn't help feeling even worse. A few minutes passed before Olivia broke the silence again.

"Don't be upset Sofia, he just needs some alone time to think. Things will work out"

"I hope you are right" Sofia said, truly wanting to believe her mother.

* * *

It was the day of Bill and Fleur's wedding. Sofia and Olivia stood by the front door, waiting on Caleb who was in his office, talking to an auror in the fireplace.

Once he had calmed down, Caleb and his daughter had had a long conversation about Draco. He still wasn't comfortable with the situation, the idea of his daughter involved with a Malfoy was just too much, but he was no longer mad.

Sofia knew it would take time for him to truly accept her relationship with Draco, if such thing was ever possible, but she was grateful it was no longer necessary to hide it from her parents. She still hadn't heard from Draco, and although she knew he would not be contacting her, deep inside she hoped he would.

Caleb finally came out of his office, and Sofia pushed Draco to the back of her mind. She was about to see her friends and she couldn't wait to spend some time with them.

Together they apparated to the Wesley's.

* * *

For the first time in a while, Sofia truly laughed as she saw Harry's disguise for the wedding, but the twins had made so much fun of him already she refrained from saying anything. She was thrilled to see her friends again and the ceremony was beautiful. After the ceremony, she had a chance to truly catch up with Hermione, and they spent a good hour going over the events of the past months.

The reception was in full bloom when a patronus materialized in the middle of the dance floor. Everyone froze in place, looking at it in shock.

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."**

Sofia recognized Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice as the patronus dissipated. Chaos broke as people began to scream, run and apparate away. Sofia watched as Harry, Ron and Hermione span in place together, seconds before her parents reached her and apparated away, taking them back to their house.

* * *

* Shannon L. Alder

**Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter eight, Pg 159

**Two more chapters and the Epilogue left... the story is coming to an end! **


	30. Months apart

As always, Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

* * *

Draco sat alone in his room, looking out of the window. He could hear faint sounds coming from downstairs and was glad that the Dark Lord was done punishing him.

After the trio had escaped the Manor, assisted by Draco's former house elf, Voldemort had tortured him with the cruciatus curse, because Draco had failed to recognize Harry. He had not, however. He identified them the moment he saw the trio, but he had lied to his aunt and parents about Harry's true identity. He did it because he wanted Voldemort gone, as it was the only way he and Sofia would ever have a chance. She was the only reason he had been able to withstand Voldemort's fury.

The Dark Lord was currently punishing his family. He felt somewhat sorry for his mother and father, but he had no compassion for his aunt.

Ever since Dumbledore's death, Voldemort had established himself at the Manor and life there became almost unbearable to the Malfoy's. Voldemort's treatment of them had reached a new level of cruelty and more often than not, Draco found himself wishing he could be back at Hogwarts, if only to get away for a while.

A week after he had left Hogwarts, he became a Death Eater. He hadn't had a choice, and he was forced to pretend he was honored. He had hoped that Voldemort would not use him to carry out his plans and so far, he hadn't, but Draco was forced to attend each and every meeting called by the Dark Lord which he didn't mind, as it gave him the chance to know who had been killed, captured or was currently missing.

From one of the meetings, he had learned that Ron's and Sofia's parents were still in England, living somewhat like always. Ron's whereabouts were obviously unknown and Sofia was currently in France, attending Beauxbatons. It seemed that her parents had sent her to stay with friends in France shortly after the Ministry had fallen.

Not being able to see her or even contact her was proving to be harder than Draco had expected. His hopes that Harry would eventually defeat Voldemort were the only reason he kept going, but as the months dragged by Draco was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen.

* * *

The past few months in Sofia's life were much of a blur. Ever since her parents had sent her to France, to live with Pauline and her family, she had been going through the motions as if on auto pilot. As much as she tried, she could not find the energy or want to be like her old self.

Upon returning to Beauxbatons, she had resumed her tutoring with Professor Edward, but even that didn't help much. The tutoring was a constant reminder of her previous year at Hogwarts and even though she enjoyed Professor Edward, it wasn't the same without Draco. To her surprise, she found herself missing Snape as well, which infuriated her considering what he had done to Dumbledore. One night, a little over a month after school started, Professor Edward had asked Sofia whether she really wanted to continue with her tutoring. She was still exceeding in it, but he could tell her mind was far away. Sofia decided to continue, because it provided her with something else to focus on.

Her friends had also approached her one day to question her about her behavior. They had noticed how she never seemed to be entirely present anymore, and how she was no longer the happy girl they once knew. Of course her friends and teachers were well aware of the happenings in England and knew she was upset to be away from her family, but they could tell her suffering was much deeper. Sofia refused to admit there was anything else to her behavior and after a while, her friends no longer brought it up.

The main thing helping her get by was the piano. The day she had arrived at Beauxbaton, she had met with Madame Maxime and requested an empty room where she could place a piano. She had also asked to be allowed to go there to practice at nights she did not have potions tutoring, and was very relieved when permission was granted.

Sofia had retrieved the book she had given Draco from the Room of Requirement the day before leaving Hogwarts, and she spent several hours a week practicing new songs from the book. She struggled a lot without Draco to help her, but she persisted nevertheless. She also continually played the last song Draco had tried to teach her. That particular song was the one they played together, when she sat on his lap, and even after she had mastered the song she did not stop playing it. Playing the piano gave her the peace and tranquility she so desperately needed, even if briefly, and it was a way of feeling connected to Draco.

The few times she was able to speak to her parents, she always asked them if they had heard anything about Draco. With every no they gave her, her frustration at the lack of information on him grew exponentially. The lack of information on the trio also upset her.

As the months dragged by and Voldemort remained undefeated, Sofia's hopes grew smaller and she began to wonder if she would ever see Draco again.

* * *

References were made to events on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, chapter 23 - Malfoy Manor.


	31. Taking a Stance

**This chapter contains several references and events from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, chapters 27 – 36. Please remember that, apart from the OCs or otherwise cited, it all belongs to the wonderful JK Rowling ( :**

* * *

Almost a year had passed since Dumbledore's death. Harry, Ron and Hermione were still missing and the wizarding community was falling apart under Voldemort ruthless control.

Very few people were trying to stop Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Sofia's parents, whom had joined the Order of the Phoenix during Sofia's year at Hogwarts and were currently hiding with other members of the Order, were two of those people.

Some were also rebelling at Hogwarts. Things had changed drastically at the school and a few students, led by Neville, were making Snape and the Carrow's lives miserable. The majority of those students were currently hiding in the Room of Requirement. It had changed into a room vast enough for everyone to live in and it provided a safe place for the students to stay.

The room, usually buzzing with noise, fell silent as Neville walked back in followed by Harry, Ron and Hermione on the night of May 1st. The room erupted in cheers as everyone present finally seemed to realize who they were.

As members of the Order were contacted about Harry's return, they began to make their way towards the school, using the same passageway as the trio did.

* * *

It took Sofia all the skills she had to convince her parents to let her go to Hogwarts and join the battle. She traveled by floo powder from Beauxbatons to the fireplace at the Hog's Head, where she met with her parents. When they arrived at the Room of Requirement, Sofia barely had the time to hug her parents and friends before each went their separate ways.

Sofia and her mom assisted with the protections around the castle, while her dad worked with Kingsley Shacklebolt. She fought alongside Ginny and Luna, and when Voldemort ordered his troops to draw back she sat with her parents by the Wesley's, mourning the deaths of Fred, Lupin, Tonks and all others.

After a while, Hermione stood up from her place next to Ron and, backing Sofia over, walked to a safe distance away from everyone else. When Sofia had joined her, Hermione recounted how Draco had come to the room of requirement to retrieve his wand from Harry, how Crabble had sat the place on fire and how Harry had saved Draco's life. Sofia thanked Hermione and both girls walked back to where their loved ones were.

* * *

As Voldemort and his Death Eaters approached the castle, with Hagrid carrying Harry's lifeless body, Sofia thought she was going to faint. All around her cries of anger and pain could be heard, especially from Hermione, Ron and Ginny.

Voldemort announced Harry's death with evident delight and proceeded to tell everyone that those who begged for forgiveness would be spared and those foolish enough to continue fighting would be killed.

No one moved, but several people began screaming at the Death Eaters. Voldemort casted a silencing charm, but it was broken by the crowd which refused to give up. In the mists of all the noise, a woman's voice filled with overwhelming love and despair caused everyone else to stop talking.

"Draco, come"

All heads turned to face Draco, who had just stepped out of the entrance Hall. His mother called him again, yet he didn't move.

"No" he finally said.

It pained him to see the concern in her eyes, but he still did not move.

"Draco, I am commanding you to come" His father said, but he sounded more pleading than authoritarian.

"You have no authority over me, father_. _I will no longer pretend to serve the Dark Lord"

As he spoke, he looked around for Sofia. She was at the very edge of the crowd with Ron and Hermione and he walked towards her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he looked at his parents and said "My place is here, with Sofia"

Draco could hear people murmuring and gasping around them, but he focused his attention on the Death Eaters, ready to defend Sofia if any decided to attack her. With all eyes on Draco, Neville took the chance to try and kill Nagini, as Harry had asked him, but Voldemort stopped him.

Chaos broke as several things happened at once. Draco watched as things unfolded and the two sides clashed. He knew that he and Sofia were in great danger after what he had done, and a few Death Eaters were already trying to attack them so he reached for Sofia's hand, eager to take her away from the battle. He found nothing; she was no longer by his side. He was concentrating on his surroundings so hard he never felt her step away. Looking around, he finally spotted her. She was running towards Neville, casting spells at any Death Eater who tried to attack him.

People began to make their way to the Great Hall in an effort to escape the confusion. Still watching for Sofia, Draco saw her entering the castle with Neville close by. As fast as he could, he cut through the crowd trying to reach Sofia, but as the Death Eaters came closer to the castle, he had to stop and defend himself. Before long, he had lost her.

During the confusion that followed, Sofia fought alongside her parents, but as they were fighting inside the Great Hall, the enclosed space was becoming an issue. As the fight continued, Sofia got separated from her parents. She sent two Death Eaters flying out of the window as they tried to attack her parents before barely having the time to lower herself and avoid being hit by a curse.

As she got up, another Death Eater stepped right in front of her and engaged her in a fight. Her parents were trying desperately to reach her, but had to fight off other Death Eaters trying to attack them. Sofia was doing her best to fight her attacker off, but she wasn't sure how much longer she would be able to hold on.

Suddenly, the Death Eater froze, turned pale and crumbled to the ground. Behind him, with his wand held high and fire burning in his eyes stood Draco. Sofia barely had the time to thank him for saving her, yet again, when more curses flew their way.

Draco approached her and turned his back against hers, both watching out for each other, and continued to fight. All around them, different wizards were engaged in ferocious battles.

Sofia caught a glimpse of Hermione, Ginny and Luna fighting Bellatrix. She screamed as a killing curse went by Ginny, missing her by inches. Ms. Weasley, whom was standing near her, screamed as well and, telling the girls to move aside, began to duel Bellatrix. Sofia and Draco turned around just in time to see Molly kill her.

Cheers erupted as people realized Bellatrix was dead, but her death caused Voldemort an outburst of anger and he sent McGonagall, Kingsley, and Slughorn, whom he had been fighting, flying back with a spell. Voldemort turned to attack Ms. Weasley but Harry casted the Protego spell between them.

Voldemort looked around the Great Hall in confusion, and Harry finally took of his invisibility cloak, revealing himself. The cheers coming from everyone at the sight of Harry were short lived, as silence fell when Harry and Voldemort began to circle each other.

* * *

**Only one more chapter and the epilogue! I cant believe its almost over! **


	32. Acceptance

**Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.**

* * *

Sofia and her parents were hugging each other. All around them, people were hugging, laughing, and celebrating. Voldemort was dead, and Harry had won. Although many had lost their lives, the people in the Great Hall were filled with the fresh hope of a better wizarding world.

As Sofia turned away from her parents and hugged Hermione, the noise in the Hall died. Both girls looked around, trying to find the source of the sudden stillness. Everyone seemed to be looking at the same direction, and as the girls followed everyone's gazes, their eyes fell on Draco.

Sofia tried to remember when he had left her side, but she couldn't. Everything that had just happened after Voldemort collapsed dead was a haze of hugs and voices. Clearly though, he had left her side at some point, because he was now walking over from the opposite side of the Hall, his eyes fixed on Harry's.

Draco stopped a few steps away from where Harry, Hermione, the Weasley's and the Smith's were. Harry was standing closer to Draco, Ron and Ginny on his left side, Sofia and Hermione on his right. Like everyone else in the Hall, Sofia was looking back and forth between Draco and Harry.

"I know I have done many wrong things in the past to you, them" He nodded at Ron and his family "and many others in here. I know all of you hate me and my family, and I don't expect that to change. What I want is for you and everyone else to know there is no more reason to fear or hate me. I turned my back on the Dark Lord and his followers long ago, and all that matters to me is Sofia's happiness. And for her to be truly happy, we must all get along"

He took a few more steps closer to Harry, and extended his right hand. A few seconds went by, in which everyone seemed to be holding their breath. When it seemed as if Harry was not going to shake Draco's hand, he did. As one, the people in the room exhaled.

"I know you have; Sofia told us the story between you and her. You have proven yourself to be worthy of a second chance, what's done is done and there is not changing it, but from now on we start anew. However there is something you must know Malfoy" Harry said, his tone growing serious "Sofia is my friend, and if you ever hurt her, I will personally make you regret it. Are we clear?"

"That will never happen, but we are clear Potter"

Next, Draco went to shake hands with Ron who seemed a little more reluctant to accept Draco's new character and also threatened him, with evident delight, if he ever caused Sofia any harm. Draco shook hands with all the other Weasleys as well. When it came time to Hermione she surprised him, and everyone else, by ignoring his extended arm and giving him a small hug. Next to them, Ron watched everything with his ears growing red.

Finally, Draco turned to face Sofia's parents. First he approached Caleb, who's expression was impossible to read. For a long time they stared at each other, until Caleb finally shook Draco's hand.

"I am not pleased that my daughter has fallen in love with a Malfoy" Caleb said "but you have proven to be a better person than any of us ever expected. If my little girl has chosen and trusted you, I will stand by her"

"Thank you sir" Draco said, looking relieved.

"I appreciate that Harry and Ron have already offered to take care of you, if ever you hurt my daughter again Draco Malfoy but I am afraid that, if you ever do, they won't have a chance. I will ensure you pay for it, myself. Sofia is my only daughter, and I am very protective of her"

"So I've been told" Draco said with a small smirk and Caleb actually smiled.

Draco also addressed Olivia, who like Hermione, hugged him. Then, at last, he turned towards Sofia whose eyes were shining with tears. She was smiling at Draco with a look of pure happiness, the likes he had never seen on her before. Ignoring the fact that the Great Hall was packed full with people, he wrapped her in his arms and briefly kissed her on the lips. She responded by wrapping her arms around him and blushing violently.

"Now that all of you are done threatening my son, I would like to say something as well"

Sofia and Draco turned around to see Narcissa standing just a few steps away from them. Lucius was by her side. Narcissa continued walking until she was face to face with Sofia, who now stood next to Draco, their hands intertwined.

"As I have proven" she said, quickly looking up at Harry before looking back at Sofia "nothing matters more to me than my son's happiness and safety. Just as your parents aren't necessarily pleased with Draco, we are not pleased with you. But again, just like your parents, I'll stand by my son and his choices. As he has chosen and risked so much for you, you have nothing to fear from us"

Lucius shook his head in accordance, although he didn't seem as convinced as his wife.

"Thank you" Sofia said

"Don't ever hurt my son Sofia Smith, or I shall make you pay for it" Narcissa said and Sofia actually shivered.

"I won't"

"Very well. Lucius and I must go now" She said, looking at Draco "When you and Sofia are ready, me and your father wish to hear everything about the two of you"

She held her son's gaze for a minute longer before turning to leave. Lucius however did not move.

"She is not the one I would choose for you Draco, it just isn't right"

Draco's expression grew somber and he seemed ready to start an argument with his father, but Sofia gently squeezed his hand and Draco remained silent. Father and son held their gazes a minute more, before Lucius shifted his towards Sofia.

"You must not fear me, for I have accepted my son's choice. I might not be pleased, but as long as you mean so much to Draco, you and your family will always be welcomed at Malfoy Manor"

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy"

With a short nod towards Sofia Lucius turned around and, with Narcissa by his side, walked away.

* * *

After the Malfoys had left, people gradually returned to celebrating and Draco was no longer in the spot light. Food was eventually served and people sat down to eat and celebrate.

Sofia and Draco were sitting side by side in the Gryffindor table with her parent's, Hermione, and the Weasleys around them; Harry had left earlier to rest. When they were done eating, Caleb and Olivia stood up.

"I am going to the Ministry with your mother Sofia, but before we go, we need to arrange for your return to Beauxbatons. You still have to finish classes and take your final exams"

"But I just got here! That's rubbish!" Sofia protested, crossing her arms.

"And you will be back soon enough. School is almost over"

"I haven't seen any of you in months! I don't want to leave so soon!"

"You father is right Sofia, you need to go back" Draco said.

Sofia looked at him with an expression of disbelief.

"Stay out of this Draco Malfoy" She said, with a tone of voice that suggested he had just betrayed her.

"C'mon Sofia, don't be so stubborn" Caleb said, rolling his eyes at his daughter.

"It is very important that you finish your education, darling" Olivia said.

Sofia looked from her dad to her mother and from her to Draco. All of them had the same expression, and she knew there was no way she could win against the three of them.

"Fine, I'll go back… with one condition though"

"What?" Caleb and Olivia asked.

Sofia smiled at her parents before turning to face Draco.

"Have you ever been to France?"


	33. Epilogue

Apart from the OC, or otherwise cited, JK Rowling owns the rights to everything in the story.

* * *

Draco arrived home after a long day of work, feeling exhausted. He enjoyed his position as a Healer at St. Mungus, but it kept him very busy and his workdays were very long. He was met by their house elf who was waiting for him with a mug of hot tea, as usual. Draco handed him his cloak, grabbed the mug and made his way upstairs. It was past midnight, but he could hear the faint sound of a voice coming from the last door in the hallway, to the right. As he came closer, the voice grew stronger.

He stopped just outside the room, hiding in the shadows and took in the scene. The full moon shone through the open window, illuminating a person sitting in a rocking chair, and the baby resting in her arms. She was singing a lullaby, and her voice was so soft and full of love that Draco couldn't help but to smile at them.

_Goodnight, my angel_

_Time to close your eyes _

_And save these questions for another day_

_I think I know what you've been asking me_

_I think you know what I've been trying to say_

_I promised I would never leave you_

_And you should always know_

_Wherever you may go_

_No matter where you are_

_I never will be far away_

_Goodnight, my angel_

_Now it's time to sleep_

_And still so many things I want to say_

_Remember all the songs you sang for me_

_When we went sailing on an emerald bay_

_And like a boat out on the ocean_

_I'm rocking you to sleep_

_The water's dark_

_And deep inside this ancient heart_

_You'll always be a part of me*_

Sofia and Scorpios. Scorpios and Sofia. Two words, Draco's entire world. He never thought he could love anyone else like he loved Sofia, but that had changed the day his son was born. He had his mother's eyes and Draco's famous blond hair, and was perfect in every single way.

The moment Sofia had told him she was expecting, Draco had made a promise to himself that he would be a better father to his child than his father was to him. Scorpios was just a few months old, but Draco was already taking any necessary steps to keep his promise. He had never voiced his concerns to Sofia but she had known, and she had talked it over with him several times before, always putting his mind at ease.

As he continued to watch them, Sofia finished singing. She stood up, kissed Scorpios head and walked over to his crib, where she put him down. She stayed next to the crib watching him sleep with such a tender expression, Draco could have watched them like that forever. He finally stepped in, put down his mug and walked to her side. Wrapping his left arm around her, he carefully stroked his son's cheek with his right hand.

"Everyone is looking forward to you coming back to work" He whispered "No one can prepare the potions the way you do. Even some of the patients are asking for you"

Sofia smiled. Like Draco, she worked at St. Mungus but she was not a healer. She was responsible for brewing the potions used by the healers, a job she absolutely loved. Sometimes, she would also administer the potions to the patients, under the watchful eyes of a healer, and she enjoyed those few moments of interaction with the people she was helping.

"I'm looking forward to going back as well, but not yet. Scorpios still needs his mum to be around"

The way she said their son name sent shivers down Draco's spine. As they stood there, watching their baby boy, he once again thought about how lucky he was. Things would have been very different if Sofia and he hadn't crossed paths.

Draco yawned and stretched his arms, causing Sofia to finally look away from Scorpios.

"You should be in bed Draco, you look so tired" She said, tenderness still in her voice.

"I was watching you, listening as you sang to him. He is very lucky to have you as a mother"

"And you as a father"

They smiled at each other, and then Draco reached for her hand. Together, they left Scorpios room, pausing only to close the door.

* * *

*Good Night my Angel - Billy Joel - River of Dreams (1993). Every time I think about the song, I hear it as the version from Celtic Women. Check it out if you can, it is beautiful!

* * *

**And we have reached the end! What a bitter sweet moment! I find it hard to imagine not spending countless hours every week writing new chapters, or watching the number of visitors grow, or reading the reviews. **

**It's been such a pleasure to share this story with all you guys! Thank you so very much for taking the time to read Black Roses and experience the story of Draco and Sofia. When I first decided to publish it, I never thought I would have so many people read and like it, so it's been a pleasant surprise. **

**Thank you also for giving me the confidence to develop this story and write much more than I had ever thought. I look forward to writing more fanfics! **

**Please feel free to recommend and share this story with your friends ( :**

***I have decided to write a sequel! Please check it out! (on my profile)**


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